Estevan’s own Cecilia McCaskill has achieved a remarkable milestone, earning a spot on Team Canada for junior roller derby, an accomplishment that has filled her with pride and excitement as she looks ahead to competing on the world stage.
The journey to making the national team involved an intensive tryout held in Vancouver. The process included a combination of dry land workouts, drills, and scrimmages, pushing participants to demonstrate their endurance and skill. For McCaskill, the experience came with an unexpected twist—she suffered from food poisoning on the second day of tryouts and couldn’t participate in the on-skate sessions.
“I didn’t go to the venue because I was so sick,” McCaskill shared. Despite missing part of the tryout, she was thrilled to receive an email notifying her that she had made the team. “I was very grateful,” she added.
As McCaskill looks ahead, her next step is preparing for Team Canada’s practices, which will take her to Halifax in February and Ontario in March. She’ll also be practicing with Team Sask, having secured a spot on that team as well. Though much of her training will take place at home, there’s potential for international tournaments in the U.S. as part of the buildup to the ultimate goal—competing in Australia in July.
McCaskill’s roller derby journey began in Estevan, and she never imagined it would take her to this level of competition. Her inspiration came from her coach, who made Team Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic and encouraged McCaskill and her teammates to aim high. “She really pushed us to all tryout,” McCaskill said, recalling their shared determination to compete at an international level.
In addition to the excitement of representing her country, McCaskill is working hard to fundraise for her trip to Australia. She has set up a CARCAN account for donations using the code "TC Derby" and is exploring a 50/50 fundraiser to help cover the costs.
“I’m very happy and proud that I can be representing Estevan and Saskatchewan as I’m the only person from Saskatchewan on the team,” McCaskill said.
Locally, McCaskill continues to train with her Estevan roller derby team. As she prepares for a busy year of competition, she looks forward to sharing her passion for roller derby with her community and inspiring others to pursue their goals.