ABOUT
CANADA ROLLER DERBY
Canada Roller Derby was incorporated in 2017 as a membership-based non-profit organization with a mission to develop the sport of roller derby; to build and develop national teams of the highest calibre; and to build a national organization to support and grow the sport and serve as the de facto organizing body for the sport in Canada.
Personnel
Jessica Paternostro, Head of Sport Development
...
JoAnna Black, Sponsorship & Marketing Manager
...
Head of Sport Development Jess “Bandit” Paternostro was Team Canada Women's Head Coach for the bronze-medal 2018 Roller Derby World Cup mission. Paternostro skated for Team Canada in both the 2011 and 2014 World Cups and competed with Montreal Roller Derby’s elite team New Skids on the Block for 10 years. She has coached highly competitive roller derby since 2012, beginning with Les Mont Royals of Roller Derby Masculin Montréal, and continuing as Assistant Coach of Team Canada Men’s Roller Derby for the 2014 and 2016 Men’s Roller Derby World Cups. Paternostro holds a Masters in Human Kinetics and is a physical education teacher in Montreal and a sport mental performance consultant.
Sponsorship & Marketing Manager JoAnna Black (aka Luna Shovegood) joined roller derby in 2018, completing Toronto Roller Derby’s fresh meat program and now playing with their home team Gore-Gore Rollergirls. She has ample professional experience in the field, having studied Fundraising Management and currently working as a Giving Manager at an international disaster relief charity.
Bethany Fisher, Team Canada Men's Head Coach
...
Skimo, Team Canada Women's Head Coach
Team Canada Men's Roller Derby Head Coach Bethany "Boxcar" Fisher played for Team Canada at the 2018 World Cup. She has played for four derby leagues in ten years: Montreal Roller Derby, Rose City Rollers, Thunder Bay Roller Derby, and now Toronto Roller Derby. She is a freelance web developer, and also works with the derby clothing company Monster Muffin.
Head Coach Skimo comes from a background of speed skating in northern British Columbia. Skating competitively for 10 years, he won two consecutive provincial championships and then began coaching skating and other sports. He has coached roller derby since 2013. He is a member of the coaching staff for Rated PG Roller Derby’s WFTDA charter team the Northstars, and he has helped his home league the North Coast Nightmares, in the small town of Terrace, grow to become a WFTDA apprentice league. By day, he is an IT Manager.
Alicia Biggley, Team Canada Men's Assistant Coach
...
Alicia Biggley, aka Biggley Smallz, represented Team Canada at the 2018 World Cup. She played with Toronto Roller Derby for five years, and now plays with Montreal Roller Derby's charter team New Skids on the Block. Biggley played football in high school and was a 90s rollerblade kid. She works as an Illustrator and Textile Graphic Designer, making prints for clothes.
Andrew "D Ray" de Souza, Team Canada Women's Assistant Coach
...
Assistant Coach Andrew “D Ray” de Souza has skated for Team Canada Men’s Roller Derby since 2017. He began playing derby with the Glenmore Reservoir Dogs in 2012, and has played with Toronto Men’s Roller Derby since 2014. He has been a coach for both Montreal’s New Skids on the Block and Toronto Roller Derby’s charter teams since 2017. Roller derby inspired him to return to school to study Athletic Therapy.
Alexandra Evans, Team Canada Men's Line Coach
...
Team Canada Men's Roller Derby Line Coach Alexandra Evans represented Canada at the 2018 World Cup. She has played for Toronto Roller Derby, Terminal City Roller Derby, and is now a member of the Vancouver Murder Men's Roller Derby Association team.
Harassin' Ford, Team Canada Women's Assistant Coach
...
Assistant Coach Harassin’ Ford is a two-time member of Team Canada Men’s Roller Derby. He co-founded Toronto Men’s Roller Derby and currently skates with the Vancouver Murder, most recently captaining and coaching them to fourth place at the 2019 MRDA Championships. He has also bench-coached Terminal City Roller Derby’s All-Stars. As a youth he was a national springboard diving champion, and he now works as a storyboard artist on movies and TV production, most recently on projects for Marvel Studios.
Team Canada Men's Managers
...
Melissa Bura, Team Canada Women's Manager
Team Manager Melissa Bura (aka Slam Wow) has skated with Toronto Roller Derby, coached and skated for the South Simcoe Rebel Rollers, coached the Barrie Junior Roller Derby program, and in 2018-19 skated with Orangeville Roller Girls and was a member of the bench staff for their WFTDA charter team Misfit Militia. She also skated for Team Greece in the 2014 World Cup. She is a certified tennis instructor with the Ontario Tennis Association. Professionally, Melissa has a long history in administrative work, and in 2019 returned to school full time to pursue a career in the field of Opticianry.
Two-time Team Canada Men’s Manager Small Fry has coached the Ottawa’s MRDA team the Slaughter Squad for five years, and the Ottawa Valley Roller Derby All-Stars since 2018. She has skated with the All-Stars and with Capital City Derby Dolls.