Gotham Roller Derby brings sport to Prospect Park

The nonprofit organization has made the LeFrak Center its new practice space.

News 12 Staff

Jul 20, 2023, 2:45 AM

Updated 525 days ago

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The Gotham Roller Derby is rolling its way into Prospect Park.
The nonprofit organization has made the LeFrak Center its new practice space.
"There's something about roller derby where you can embrace your power,” said Gotham Roller Derby’s Kapulani Patterson aka “Hawaiian Blaze.”
The organization sports a variety of athletes in the city, but most importantly this team is the only derby league for women, cisgender, transgender, intersex women and gender non-conforming participants.
"For various reasons I’ve been on the outskirts of communities my whole life, and I haven't really had that like my own community to lift me up and now I finally have one,” added Gotham Roller Derby’s Stephanie Burns aka “Crash n’ Burnes.”
Gotham Roller Derby was created back in 2003 to give people a platform to compete on a national and international level.
"You are allowed to go as hard as you want,” said Patterson. “You can be as competitive as you want and there's something about that that translates off the track.