Mortlake-born author Andrea Rowe's visit to the Warrnambool Roller Derby League gave Asha Hayden the opportunity to combine her two passions - skating and reading.
Rowe visited the club at the Warrnambool Showgrounds on Tuesday, September 5 as part of her Sunday Skating book tour in her hometown, Koroit, Port Fairy and the city.
Asha, a junior player and coach, said she attended the meet and greet because she loved reading and skating - but not at the same time.
"Put together, it's the best thing ever," she said.
IN OTHER NEWS
- Fugitive arrested six years after alleged $60m cocaine bust off coast of Port Fairy
- Mother loses son to suicide in South West Healthcare's mental health unit
- Warrnambool rents rising as rental stress, economic distress grow
- Warrnambool City Council to pay $800k for new hockey pitch
- How soon will the state government pay to shore up Warrnambool's breakwater?
Asha started roller derby in 2021 after her aunt took her to a come and try day.
"I don't think I could leave now. Even if this place stops playing I'd have to find somewhere else because I couldn't go without (it)," she said.
"It's just about having a lot of fun with my friends because it's a whole different environment to your school friends and the people you hang out with."
Roller derby is a contact sport played on a track where the players are on roller skates.
Another junior player and coach Eve Swanson said the visit was a "massive boost" to their community.
"I found it to be quite interesting and I like seeing someone locally write a book about skating," she said.
Eve followed in her mother's footsteps when she joined the league in 2020 - her mother started with the Warrnambool Dirty Angels Roller Derby team more than 10 years ago.
"It's a good environment and it's very supportive and diverse," Eve said.
Rowe, who now lives on the Mornington Peninsula, said it was great to be back in her hometown which included catching up with her parents.
"It was good in that for me it's where life started out," she said.
"We come back through Mortlake a lot but this time it was more special to actually be able to stop there."
She made a pit stop at St Colman's Parish Primary for the first author visit at the school in about nine years.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark https://www.standard.net.au/
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines and newsletters
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn
- Tap here to open our Google News page
- Join our Courts and Crime Facebook group and our dedicated Sport
- Facebook group
- Subscribe
Lillian Altman
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
Lillian is an experienced journalist who joined Warrnambool Standard in late 2021. She has a particular interest in writing stories on the arts and culture, health, education, breaking news, police stories, as well as human interest and profiles.
