Your instructor
ABOVE: Livvy Skates, Skate Lisa and Cherri Blaster at 2019 Roll Out skate park after party. Photo courtesy Alt Photos.
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Cherri Blaster aka Martina Emard
My name is Martina Emard and I’ve been enjoying life on eight wheels since getting my first pair of roller skates as a teenager. But I didn’t start rollerskating seriously until I joined roller derby in 2010.
My derby name became Cherri Blaster and I actively played with the Lethbridge Roller Derby Guild until 2016, moving into a referee role and continuing to volunteer and teach in the new skater program for the league to this day.
Looking for a new challenge, I started a “Learn to Rollerskate YQL” group in the summer of 2016 and offered a free community program to teach the basics of rollerskating.
In the spring of 2017 I acquired a small fleet of loaner rollerskates and began providing gear at City of Lethbridge open arena skates and expanded outdoor skating programming that summer. In August of 2017 I earned Level 1 Instructor Certification through Skate IA.
From there, I began offering rollerskating and rollerdance instruction, as well as hosting public rollerskating events.
In 2020 I changed the organization’s name to Roller Skate Lethbridge.
Fast forward to now, where my dream is to establish year-round recreational rollerskating programming for all levels and abilities. Programming currently available includes:
• Rollerskating basics: learn how to skate forward, stop, fall, turn
• Outdoor rollerskating: learn how to navigate curbs, debris and other outdoor obstacles
• Rollerskating intermediate: learn how to skate backwards, crossovers, transitions
• Introduction to rollerdance: learn how to find your bounce and move to music
• Intermediate rollerdance: improving you skills by learning new techniques
• Roller discos and skate parties: no lessons, just skating for fun!
I use my 14 years of roller derby training and coaching to break down complex moves into a simple 3-step process to help you learn, while using repetition to build muscle memory and confidence. But my biggest motivation to teach is I just want to skate with you!
Skating background:
• Recreational roller skater since the ‘80s
• Joined roller derby in 2010
• Developed “Diary of a Rollergirl” blog with articles on skate maintenance, gear, fitness, food and the business side of roller derby
• Developed roller derby training plans, practice curriculum
• Fresh meat and new skater coach for roller derby
• Served/serving as a board member, committee head, referee and general volunteer for Lethbridge Roller Derby Guild
• Trains regularly using video tutorials from the EsQuint Foundation, Richard Humphrey and more
• Attended training sessions with
– Mo “Quadzilla” Sanders – 2016
– Michelle “Estro Jen” Steilen – 2010 & 2019
– Kim Janna – 2012
– “8 Mean Wheeler” MacKenzie – 2013
– Esther Molenaar (Netherlands) – 2017
– Chris Neima (Vancouver) – 2017
– Andrea Lynne (Victoria) – 2017
– Danielle Senecal (Montreal)- 2019 and 2023
– Skate Lisa (UK) – 2019
– Keegan Shim – 2021 and 2023
– Howard Jenkins – 2022
– Tanya Dean – 2023
– Diamond Walker – 2023
• Skate IA Level 1 Certified through the Skate Instructors Association in 2017.
• Guest instructor at 2019 Calgary Rollout Festival teaching intro to rollerskating, intro to jam plugs and intro to the downtown.
• Developed and taught online “Learn to rollerskate” curriculum with Lethbridge Roller Derby.
• Intermediate online rollerdance instructor for Roller Skate Victoria from January 2021 to December 2022.
• Rollerskating workshops with Calgary Roller Skate in August and October 2021.
• Guest instructor at 2021 Rolling in the Rockies, teaching beginner and intermediate rollerdance moves.
• Guest instructor at 2022 Cranbrook rollerdance
• Guest instructor at 2023 Calgary Roll Out Festival.
Cherri Blaster fitness Lethbridge Martina Emard roller rink Lethbrridge roller skates rollerskating rollerskating instructor YQL
