#95

Wholigan

“May the track rise up to meet you…in the face.”

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY

How did you get into derby? Why The Outfit? While I was earning my masters in journalism, nudges toward derby appeared on all sides. I decided to write an article on Derby Lite for a magazine class…and then do a photojournalism project…and then a long form science-focused piece about the physics of roller derby. I finally gave in and signed up for two sessions with Derby Lite a year apart, then went on to skate through fresh meat training with the lovely Dublin Roller Girls while I reported abroad in Ireland for three months. When I came back to the states, I chose to try out for The Outfit because many of the women I had already come to know and love in Derby Lite had recently made the team. It’s been a wonderful whirlwind.

Tell us about your derby alter-ego: Born on the north side of Dublin, Wholigan’s been pushin’ poseurs into the Liffey since 2012.

How did you get your alter personality? I agonized over a derby name for years! Wholigan’s not an alter ego, but an extension of me. I’ve always really identified with my maiden name: in Irish, “hooley” is slang for a party or celebration. The surname is derived from O’Huallaigh, meaning the “proud or boastful” ones. As for “hooligan”? It just might be an portmanteau of “Hooley’s gang.” And I’m proud to be partyin’ with my new gang The Outfit.

Did you play other sports previously? I played softball and basketball in junior high school. To put it lightly, we were not exactly all stars. Some of our members were known to randomly sit down and pick dandelions in the outfield, for instance. I’ve always loved rollerblading, but before derby the last pair of quads I owned had Barbie on them.

Random fact about you? In college, I became a member and eventually president of Ring of Steel: Ithaca, a stage combat and stunt group. I have been performing choreographed swordplay ever since. Coincidentally, this is also how I met my husband. We had a “first fight” at our wedding.