Victoria roller derby star heading to France with Team Canada
Roller derby may not be an Olympic sport, but it has a world championship – and one Victoria junior skater is going to compete in it this year.
Naomi Morrell, also known as "Scream Soda," is the captain of Victoria's junior roller derby team, the Rotten Apples.
In November, Morrell travelled to Red Deer, Alta., to try out for Canada's national junior roller derby team.
Scream Soda faced off against 50 of the best skaters in Canada.
"I was terrified," she said.
But she made the team.
"Her father and I are very proud of her, but not surprised," said her mom, Cindy MacDougall.
Morrell's roller derby dreams had a storybook start about five years ago.
"I got this comic for Christmas. It was called 'Roller Girl,'" said Morrell. "It's about this little girl who joins roller derby."
Morrell would go on to trade her paperback for a pair of skates, and Scream Soda was born.
"I saw these women and non-binary people just demolishing each other on skates," she said.
Roller derby is a bit like rugby, where players score points by dodging players and making it into their defended zones.
Scream Soda is one part battering ram, one part ballerina, and her teammates love her.
The Rotten Apples junior roller derby team is shown. (CTV News)"She's a bundle of joy," said one of her Rotten Apples teammates.
"She got me this necklace," said another, noting that Morrell is the type of team captain that remembers your birthday.
Now that Scream Soda has made the national team, she'll be heading to France in July to join Canada at the Junior Roller Derby World Cup.
She's on the hook for travel costs though, so her friends and family are pitching in with bottle drives and other fundraisers.
A GoFundMe was set up for Morrell and had raised more than $3,400 of its $5,000 goal by Thursday.
Morrell is the only Vancouver Island player to make the national team, and is just one of three players from B.C., according to the online fundraiser.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Asking rent prices up 9.3% across Canada, Ontario sees only decline: report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.
WATCH Expecting an interest rate cut in June? Don't bet on it after new jobs data
Canada's labour market rebounded in April, adding more than 90,000 jobs, a staggering number of new positions after four consecutive months of little change.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
'Irate male' assaulted Newfoundland officers with block of cheese, police say
Police in Newfoundland say patrol officers were assaulted Thursday by a "very irate male" wielding a block of cheese.