Grab your skates but don’t forget your helmet and knee pads, as Anna Cook joins us to talk about her newfound passion for roller derby. She explains how a friend’s invitation to watch a match sparked her interest, how having no prior skating experience made her first day challenging, and how the encouragement from fellow teammates and coaches gave her the support she needed. Anna provides insights into the structure and rules of roller derby, the various roles within a team, and the rigorous training required to participate in bouts. She talks about the inclusive and nurturing community she discovered in the sport, particularly highlighting its embrace of diversity, including those who are queer, neurodivergent, or disabled.

Guest Bio

As a Senior Designer at Microsoft, Anna Cook (she/they) specializes in building inclusive products, focusing on accessibility and inclusion for Azure and beyond. She has over ten years of experience in digital product design and a Masters in Creative Technology + Design from the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Engineering and Applied Science.

Links

Boulder County Roller Derby League: https://bouldercountyrollerderby.com/

Anna’s website: https://annaecook.com/

Anna’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaecook/

Anna on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/annaecook.com

Anna on Mastodon: https://mstdn.social/@annaecook

Credits

Cover design by Raquel Breternitz.