Fort Wayne Roller Derby celebrates two decades of community, skating, and impact

It might come as a surprise that Fort Wayne has had its own roller derby team for 20 years. 

“Roller derby [is] a full-contact team sport,” explains Nicki Gunn, president of the board and community events coordinator for Fort Wayne Roller Derby. “The goal is to score more points than your opponent, and you do so by helping the jammer, who is the person with the star in their helmet, pass the other players so that they can get points. And you get to hit people.”

Despite being conceived in the 1930s, roller derby gained popularity in the early 2000s and, with the 2009 movie “Whip It,” added even more interest in the sport. 

Roller Derby is a great way for females to just come out, show their athleticism, their cheeky side, and in a way, to be a little aggressive. And it is okay because that is part of the sport and that is what we wanted to have for people [here].”

Fort Wayne Roller Derby began playing games in 2006. Originally a female-only sport, the organization rebranded from “Fort Wayne Derby Girls” to “Fort Wayne Roller Derby” to reflect their open-gender status to welcome in those who identify as men, women, LGBTQ, and non-binary people.

“I don’t think this sport, let alone our team, would exist if it wasn’t for lesbian and queer people,” says Gunn. “We’ve opened it up to trans people as well so you can come play no matter how you identify.” 

The Fort Wayne Roller Derby Team isn’t primarily for adults; they have their own junior team under their umbrella, consisting of ages 9-17. 

As a volunteer-run organization, the team focuses on supporting local charities. This past season, the Fort Wayne Roller Derby team committed to supporting a single charity for the entire duration of the season to maximize their financial impact, rather than switching charities per game as done previously.

“We were able to give [Food Not Bombs] a nice little chunk of money at that last game,” Gunn says proudly. 

The organization partners with the community by gaining sponsors, hosting silent auctions and raffles from local businesses, and inviting local businesses to attend as vendors at their games.

Gunn is proud that the team is “female forward” in their thinking and beliefs, which focuses on sports that are female-led instead of being dominated by men.

“It’s a really cool way for us to stand out from the Komets or the Fort Wayne Football Club. Plus, we get to roller skate and hit people, so that’s kind of fun, too.”

Besides hitting people, the team encourages making names with a unique personality while on the rink. Gunn says her track name was Gunn Runner, but other members have called themselves Atkins Riot, Jam Jett, and Killer.

As the community events coordinator, Gunn is on a mission to create more visibility for the Roller Derby team. The team will be actively participating in community events such as Decatur Pride, Fort Wayne Pride, the Fort Wayne Tattoo Festival, and Open Streets Fort Wayne, just to name a few.

“You can come and talk to us and find out more information,” Gunn encourages. 

Connecting with the public is one step to building and gaining interest in their upcoming Training Camp that will be held at the GE Gymnasium at Electric Works in August.

The training camp is three months long and teaches recruits how to play the game, including safely falling and improving skating skills. For those who join the team, weekly practices will start in the winter with the first game in the spring at the Ice House. 

“The number one thing we always hear is, ‘I’m going to fall’ all the time. Yeah, you are! It’s a full-contact sport,” Gunn says with a smile. “That’s why we teach you the correct way to fall. We have safety gear and restrictions on how you can hit people and where you can hit people to try to minimize [injuries].” 

Like many other sports, roller derby can be costly to participate in. Athletes attending training camp need their own pair of skates, a mouthguard, knee and elbow pads, and a helmet. Gunns says they’ll guide new recruits to the best places to buy gear within an individual’s budget. 

The team is also working on finding ways to get loaner gear for newcomers to help offset the initial costs before committing to the game.

If you’re interested in the sport but don’t wish to skate, the organization is always looking for reliable volunteers to assist with game-day operations, including roles as scorekeepers and refs. There’s a place for everyone in roller derby, according to Gunn. 

For the 2027 Roller Derby season, Gunn is preparing for three or four games hosted at the Ice House with a few traveling games, too. The five-year goal is to start playing games at the Coliseum with a repeat and loyal fan base that cheers on the Fort Wayne Roller Derby team.

Gunn encourages folks who might be on the fence about the sport to try the training camp in August at GE Gymnasium at Electric Works. 

“Just give it a shot. Why not? That’s how I got involved, and here I am, however many years later!”

To learn more about the Fort Wayne Roller Derby Team or to attend their upcoming training camp, find them on Facebook and Instagram, or reach out at fwrollerderby@gmail.com.