Sarah Larson, executive director of the Madison Roller Derby
By Nikki Kallio | Photography by Hillary Schave
About 20 years ago, Sarah Larson was scrolling through Craigslist ads for writing gigs and came across one to cover the roller derby beat for the former Dane101.com. Roller derby is a fast-moving sport that’s played by two teams, each with four blockers and one jammer, who earns points for every blockers hip they pass from the opposite team.
“I was like, ‘Oh, man. This is so fun.’ It reminded me of being in punk rock basement shows and mosh pits,” says Larson, who covered what was then the Mad Rollin’ Dolls (now called Madison Roller Derby, or MRD) for two seasons.
“It was grassroots and had that DIY ethos. It was campy and sassy, and had some controlled, community-based aggression,” she says.
Larson (whose derby name is Gouda Riddance), has been a part of the MRD team for 13 years. In 2023, she took on the role of executive director. In her day job, Larson is the director of the Food Finance Institute at the Universities of Wisconsin.
MRD, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, has four home teams — Cosmic Crush, Quad Squad, Reservoir Dolls and the Unholy Rollers — as well as several competitive travel teams and a recreational derby. Currently, Larson is looking at whether the derby can support a juniors program.
“There are so many stories … of people who say ‘Derby gave me the confidence to do or be X or Y,’” Larson says. “I have become a better human, a better leader, an athlete and more confident in my other work, and I have felt so supported by this community through tough times.”
