Originally from Kentucky, Stephanie joined the Tallahassee Rollergirls in January of 2009. Before joining TRG she had never been an active skater, but she used her determination and strength to learn the skills and techniques. Before long she was bouting with Tallahassee’s Capital Punishment, one of the top ranked teams in Florida. On the track Stephanie, AKA Danger S, uses her strength and her sense of strategy to protect her teammates while flattening the competition. In addition to being an amazing blocker, Stephanie has served as a mentor and coach for many of the newer girls on the team.

Over the summer Stephanie began having pain in her back. For months she pushed through the pain, continuing to skate and bout with the team. However, it eventually got to the point where she could no longer ignore the pain. Thinking it would be a temporary measure, she took time off from skating to let her back heal and helped focus on coaching the team. The pain did not subside, but without health insurance and little money to visit the doctor, she endured silently. Eventually, she was persuaded to go to the doctor.

On October 28, 2009 Stephanie was diagnosed with stage 4 cervical cancer. Two weeks later on Tuesday,November 10, 2009 she had her first appointment with her doctor to discuss chemotherapy. Noticing that she looked jaundiced, her doctor ordered additional testing. She was found to be in liver failure. She was immediately admitted to the hospital to await further treatment. Doctors were unsure whether the liver failure was due to the pain medication she had been taking, or whether there might be a blockage from a tumor. A blockage could be treated, but a liver transplant would be out of the question considering her state.

Within two days she was undergoing surgery to determine the cause of the liver failure. To everyone’s relief, it was due to a blockage. The doctors were able to eliminate the blockage and return her liver function. While Stephanie is slowly recovering from her liver failure, she has a long fight with cancer ahead of her. The cancer has spread and wrapped around her spine, and nearly all of her lymph nodes are affected.

Shortly after, Stephanie was re-admitted to the hospital for an infection. She underwent a blood transfusion and was released to continue treatment. Radiation and Chemotherapy helped to eliminate the main mass of the cervical tumor; however, recently new tumors were discovered in her abdomen.

In the sport of roller derby, it’s traditional for players to choose a derby wife, another player with whom they share a deep friendship or connection. A derby wife is the one person in the sport that will always have your back, the one person you can count on to be there for you whether you’re injured, incarcerated, or inebriated.

This charity was born from the love of Stephanie’s derby wife and her fellow teammates, and is fueled by the beauty and strength that we have all witnessed in Stephanie. She is an inspiration to us, and we hope you will help her continue to inspire others.