Where to start?

When people ask where I’m from I don’t name a city, I say Ontario Canada.  Why, because I moved  A LOT when I was younger.  Until grade four it was a new school each year.   With that being said, Belleville would be what I would call “home base”.  This is where my parents grew up and grandparents lived, where I went to college and the area I seem to keep returning to.

I took Law & Security, Paralegal Specialty and Office Administration in College but somehow I ended up in finance after leaving school and spent 6 years in lending and collections before returning to the legal field for 10 years as a senior real estate clerk and then 4 years as a corporate law clerk.  Recently I’ve taken on the position of Executive Officer for a the local Real Estate Association and am looking forward to the challenge.

I love all things Disney and have since I was five and my first trip to Walt Disney World.  I absolutely loved taking my husband and kids to Walt Disney World and watching the expressions on their faces when they saw Cinderella Castle and Main Street for the first time.  Those were moments I will cherish forever and to me what Disney is all about: Wonder, Excitement and Magic.

I started running in early 2013 as a way to help get healthy after feeling like I spent the whole winter sick and exhausted and admittedly as an excuse to book another trip to Walt Disney World to run a race there.  Running was not my friend when I first started and as with everything I do I started off in too much of a hurry and was forced to slow down to deal with injuries.  Eventually I learned to love running, especially the social aspect of it.

In mid 2013 I felt like I was finally getting fit and healthy when what rolled into my life but roller derby.  A friend of my husband’s was starting a league and asked him to be a referee so I decided to join too.  It was scary, but one of the best things I have ever done.  I must confess, I quickly realized I was nowhere near as fit as I thought I was.  Roller derby kicked my behind as I built up muscles I didn’t know existed but I love it.

I have 2 incredible children and a husband who I love dearly.  My husband studied graphic arts and has always been an artistic type but kept ending up in non-creative jobs.  After years of being frustrated with not being able to do what he wanted I encouraged him to follow his dream and do something with his creative talents.  This led to him becoming a tattoo artist.  It was a bumpy road but he now owns his own tattoo shop, Injections, and creates beautiful custom pieces of art that people get to wear everyday. His dream led to my appreciation of tattoos and the execution and imagination that goes into each one. In addition to being an artist he is also a volunteer fireman with a department that is very active in the community.

All of the things above helped shape who I am today, a busy mom, a Disney addict, a runner and a tattooed roller derby mama who goes by the name of Minnie-Maniac.