Deana Ortega is a badass single mom who has jammed her way around the roller derby circuit for the past 12 years. Having overcome addiction, negotiated difficult relationships, and endured numerous traumatic losses within her family, she has survived against the odds to become a successful derby captain, triathlete, and hairstylist. Hailing from the vibrant border city of El Paso, Texas, she is the author of Forget Soldadera: A Book of Personal Poetry (Ghostlight Creative, 2018) and My Derby Romance (April, 2020). New episodes every Tuesday and Thursday at 7am UK time - Make sure you hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss out. The tough girl podcast is sponsorship and ad free thanks to the monthly financial support of patrons. To find out more about supporting your favourite podcast and becoming a patron please check out www.patreon.com/toughgirlpodcast.
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Show notes
Growing up in Texas
Having a positive attitude
Spending a lot of time alone
Loving being on her roller blades
Dreaming for some normality in her life
Getting into sports at a young age
Not being able to graduate school
Feeling very lost at a young age
Going back to school to get her GED
Finding roller derby in her 30s
Forgetting how to enjoy life
What is roller derby
Derby Names
The awesome community at Roller Derby
Getting back into Roller Derby after babies
Deciding to stop drinking for good
Working on her self worth issues
Being roller derby captain
Lessons learned from roller derby
Looking within
The importance of having balance - “you can’t do life without balance”
Her book - Derby Romance
Getting through tough times
Balance and harmony
Deciding to write her first book
Changing her beliefs about herself
Figuring out her purpose
Changing from the inside out
Words of advice for those women who want to give roller derby ago
“Nothing is ever as hard as we think it’s going to be”
Final words of advice for those going through a tough time
Social Media
Instagram @queenbumble_dee Facebook @deana.l.ortega
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