Roller Derby — Everybody's Doing It

There's no one more qualified than a librarian to tell you not to judge a book by its cover, especially one by the name of Beth Hollis, bibliosoph by day, roller derby girl by night.

After spending the past 27 years helping people navigate the Akron-Summit County Library, the petite 53-year-old began itching for a new hobby. Knitting seemed appropriate, but after not getting the hang of the non-disruptive pastime, Hollis says she was asked to leave. So, in a logical step of progression, she turned to roller derby, specifically, the Rubber City Rollergirls.

As the team's eldest player, Megabeth is integral to their success and helps draw crowds upwards of 500 to 600. And, she not only enjoys the respect of her coach and her fellow teammates, she's an inspiration players like Barb "Barbonic Plague" Brown, 21. The team's youngest player tells CNN, "It makes me actually excited to think that I could play ... for another 30 years, and that's awesome for me, because this is like my favorite thing to do."

Hollis acknowledges the physical risk, but the thrill of it all seems outweigh the threat of bangs and bruises. "It really makes it exciting when you've got all those people cheering," Hollis said. "And as we progress through the season, it's obvious that we've gotten better ... and the fan support has just gotten louder."

But, the mother of two is even an example for those off the rink. Her co-worker of 18 years, Diane Barton, refers to her as "her hero" and note's that there's definitely been a change since Hollis put on her skates. "It may just be my imagination, but she seems more confident in a way," Barton said. "It has to empower you somehow." The little powerhouse hopes her example will embolden others to push their own limits. "I encourage people to pursue things — something like this — that they think might be fun, and not to let stereotypes get in the way of whether or not they think they're going to fit in," she said. "Because you never know."

You really never do. Hollis isn't the only woman breaking the roller derby stereotype. Other teammates double as baristas, barmaids, accountants and nurses. So, perhaps roller derby is more inclusive that its given credit for. This fall, Drew Barrymore makes her directorial debut with Whip It, a film that follows misfit again, teeny-tiny Ellen Page as she finds her way onto the roller derby team in nearby Austin. She knocks about with other slight and unsuspecting gals like Kristen Wiig and Juliette Lewis. And while these Hollywood gamins are sure to be knocked around by the more familiar brooding beasts of roller derby yesteryear, perhaps the rink is a safe place for women to drop all pretense and just have a good time — knocking each other on their asses.