Put a challenge before Sunny Dyck, and you immediately have her interest piqued. She enjoys trying new things and wearing many different hats, all while wearing a pair of quad skates, preferably.
On her days off, you’ll find her at the skate park. Days on, she’s coaching the Caribruisers Junior Roller Derby team, a non-profit for those 18 and under. She also coaches an adult team, although that’s more of a recreational team.
A mom of three, she’s all too familiar with how expensive sports can be. Her roller derby team is a barrier-free sport, allowing anyone to join regardless of funds. The non-profit provides the equipment and welcomes all genders.
Dyck described the full-contact sport as similar to a game of red rover, where a jammer must get through a line of blockers to score a point. She noted, however, that the younger or new kids to the sport start as non-contact, and as they train and develop their skill sets, contact is added.
Dyck grew up casually skating in New Westminster before moving to Williams Lake in 2002, meeting her husband in 2004.
After seeing a call-out on Facebook for a local team, she got into the sport seriously. While pregnant, she took a short break from playing. This led her into coaching, which she’s been doing for almost 12 years.
She laughs when recalling a long-running joke with some of the older kids from her team. A Grade 8 teacher became confused after she continued meeting more and more of Dyck’s kids. Then, a student explained that the roller derby team calls themselves “Sunny’s kids.” Dyck said it was the sweetest thing she’s ever heard.
“I’m just really proud of them. And each and every one of them, they make me tear up. They are the extension of my own children. They are amazing kids.”
The sport is one that builds inner strength, confidence, sportsmanship and companionship. Beautifully, the sport also brings kids out of their shells, Dyck said. They’re big on encouraging one another to voice their needs.
For example, if a student isn’t feeling 100 per cent one day, the team tells them they’ll work around their 15 per cent or whatever they have to offer.
“They sort of make that connection where it’s okay not to be perfect all the time … So it definitely brings out that little bit of confidence.”
The group also volunteers around the community together, which Dyck is actively involved in. She volunteers with the Thunder Mountain Speedway, the Women’s Contact Society and the Pride Society, to name a few.
Dyck described volunteering as a rush. If being able to give two hours of her time on a weekend can make someone else happy, it makes her happy, too.
“It’s building community within community … Volunteering is kind of the glue.”
She also spoke of the empowerment that comes with volunteering and it being something you do for yourself. At a job, you’re committed to hours and projects, often regardless of enjoyment or other things happening in your life. With volunteering, you can choose when you show up and how you help out.
“[It’s] something you 100 per cent do for yourself.”
On top of that, Dyck explained the many friendships that are formed through volunteering and for someone new to town, it’s a great way to meet and find common interests with people.
When she moved to Williams Lake, it was only natural for her to start volunteering within the community, as she had been doing it since she was a kid, helping out with various clubs in high school.
As for what’s next, Halloween is on her brain. She laughed when describing her home, which is themed around the holiday all year round.
Dyck is busy planning this year’s Harvest Fair, taking place on Sept. 9-10, which will include a haunted barn. She’s also helping with the annual Boys and Girls Club haunted house on Oct. 27-28.
They’re looking for volunteers in any capacity, she said.
“If somebody doesn’t know how to get started in volunteering, volunteering for an event like the Boys and Girls Club haunted house is a great entry because you can do anything.”
Maybe it’s cleaning, organizing, building props or painting. Perhaps it’s being a scare actor, she said.
“There are lots of different moving parts to an event like that.”
You can find Dyck at one of the many events around town. If you’re interested in roller derby, find the team at caribruisers.com or on Facebook.
@kimakimberlin
kim.kimberlin@blackpress.ca
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