There's so much identity in roller derby, you all get to represent yourselves while simultaneously representing the team.

Yeah, I mean, naturally, there are going to be personalities that people are drawn to, but whats cool is that the players that are attention grabbing players are all totally different. They're all built different, look different, and have different skills. There's a lot of diversity and shapes and style, it's really cool. It's definitely a cast of characters of familiar faces of popular roller derby players. I'm glad to be considered a part of that.

How do your tattoos represent you?

My tattoos are just really fun (laughs) They're not serious, they don't really mean anything, they're just things I like. Things that make me happy, things that make me smile, they're playful. There's nothing below the surface there, they just are what they are. "It's a picture of something and I really like that" . I have a lot of tattoos and now I have the freedom to just get what ever I want. Once you reach a certain number you can have a little more fun with sillyness.

What was your first tattoo, and are there any that are more significant than others?

Well my first tattoo, is a matching tattoo with two other people, which is such a classic first tattoo, one of them I don't even speak to, like I have no idea where they are. Most of them are just things I like ; I have a black rose for the Queens, my roller derby home team. So that one has some personal significance, it's not just because I lived in Queens or anything.

So where do you draw your inspiration for these "fun things"?

They're things I want to enjoy when I'm not working. I have a lot of carnival, board walk themed tattoos cause I just really like that stuff. I have a cotton candy tattoo, a Ramones tattoo, I have like a Simpsons-themed tattoo, a Peewee Herman bicycle, they're just playful things I'm interested in. I have the same kind of pictures hanging on the wall in my apartment. It's really a collection of my personal interest and aesthetic, nothing grandiose mellow. I don't want to think too much about it, I want to keep it light. People like them, they're colorful, and when you go to the doctor all the nurses want to touch them.

Have tattoos always been a part of your life?

I didn't start to get tattoos till I was 21, which I guess is actually slightly later since I guess people usually start when they're 18 on the dot or cheat and start early. I also think that it's really important that my tattoos aren't perfect. I like that they're not perfect, when I see someone and it's like every inch of skin is covered, and every inch is perfect, I feel like it almost lacks a certain personality. I'm one of those people that takes pride in some of their first "bad" tattoos. Is it weird to say I'm proud that they aren't so great? I feel like if they're too perfect, it lacks a certain history there. When I look sometimes at magazines at these young models, I'm like "how are they so young and covered in like, perfect tattoos?". I've paid for my tattoos, they cost money, that's why I've added them one little piece at a time. I have relationships with the people I go to over and over again, but I pay them money, I don't get freebees. So that's why I'm not so sure how people are so beautifully covered and they're really young. I'm 32, and I only started to heavily add on tattoos until after I got a significant promotion at my day job. Everyone knows that little saying "good tattoos ain't cheap, cheap tattoos ain't good.". At least tattoos are a cool way to collect without clogging up your apartment.

Has roller derby influenced a lot of your ink?

I used to collect ugly dolls, and I have my favorite ugly doll riding in a hotrod roller skate. But other than that and my Queens tattoo, most of my ink is non-derby related.

Do you have any plans for future tattoos or do you just wait for inspiration?

Things just kind of come to me, they're not really, super well planned out. I'm in the middle of an NYC subway token tattoo, I have the outline right now I just have to get it shaded. Eventually I would like to fill in all the holes of my individual tattoos so you can't see the boring, white flesh anymore. But I always want more. I would like to have a certain aesthetic, a lot of colorful tattoos as a personal accessory. It's like having the greatest hair cut every day. It's just being aware of one's image, I like to look a certain way and that's what I choose. If I want to have tattoos I want to have A LOT of tattoos, every inch. To me it's not necessarily a sentimental thing, it's a style thing. I'm not that into trite, overplayed things. I have some flowers, but those are flowers that grew in my yard, and it's not just like "oh that's pretty, look at that.". I don't generally follow trends, I have a couple "sailor jerry tattoos" but really my tattoos reflect what I'm interested in. I just want mine to have a little personality and not have it be cookie cutter flesh.

So what are you doing when you're not tearing up the rink or in the shop getting ink?

I'm a food photographer by day, and I love my job. I also love that I'm a working photographer and not someone that lies about it and just has an instagram. Otherwise, I really love flee market shopping and listening to music a lot. I never lost my love of music. I'll play again when my knees give out, cause I can't skate forever. All day long I listen to music, at work, come home and listen to music, watch tv about music, look at pictures about music. My heroes are musicians not athletes usually. Also I just started a pinball team, I'm not good at it but I love it.

That sounds familiar, well hey, maybe you'll turn pinball into an international sport just like roller derby.

Yeah! Maybe!