
CaiRoller team members warm up before a practice bout in late May. "In the beginning you might fall 20 to 30 times during a single practice. 'Picking yourself up off the floor' isn't just metaphorical anymore," co-founder Angie Turk said. "Then when you are stable enough, we all get to hit you as hard as we want and you become even stronger. First, mentally, then physically."
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Rahma Diab waits to catch the women's car on the Cairo metro, saying it's easier than facing any potential harassment from men. Diab is a member of Cairo's only roller derby team, CaiRollers.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Rahma Diab pours strawberry juice at her home in Cairo. She lives with her parents, who, she said, are supportive of her playing roller derby. "I don't see it as being open, I see it as being normal," she said.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Rahma Diab recently finished her bachelor's degree in statistics from Cairo University and has accepted a research position at the American University in Cairo. Diab spent a foreign exchange year in the United States at the University of Arkansas through the NESA UGrad (Near East and South Asia Undergraduate) program sponsored by the U.S. State Department. "I started to think differently when I was in the States," she said. "Before that, I wouldn't go out and try new things. Now I'm more open."
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Rahma Diab leaves her parents' flat in the Shoubra district of Cairo to head to roller derby. Depending on which location practice is at, it can take her from 30 minutes to an hour to get there by taking a variation of the metro, a taxi and walking.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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CaiRollers was started in 2012 by two Americans, Angie Turk and Shanekia Bickham. Today the team has 22 members, only three of whom are expatriates from other countries.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Laila Baraka, whose derby name is Dr. Sol, tears off a piece of duct tape before practice. The tape is placed on the toes of skates to keep them from getting too damaged. None of the derby gear can be found within Egypt and must be imported.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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CaiRollers welcomes any woman older than 18 to try out for the team. No previous experience is needed. "It's a culture, a family, an empowerment game," co-founder Angie Turk said.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Elizabeth King, also known as Zoom Kalthoum, stretches before a practice bout in late May 2014. The team has two locations at Maadi club and El Tala'ah club, where they create a makeshift track for each practice twice a week.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Colleen Devlin, who calls herself Bella Cossity, and Elizabeth King, Zoom Kalthoum, dance together during practice to work on balance. Beyond them, Shimaa Samhan, Sheen the Machine, and Rahma Diab, Derbina, do the same.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Nouran El Kabbany, known as Minnie Mean, stretches before a practice bout in late May.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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"Other women have said they don't feel as afraid or timid on the streets or at protests. If they can get hit this hard and pick themselves back up, they can handle anything," CaiRollers co-founder Angie Turk said. "I think the women don't quite realize how tough they are, and this sport is like a mirror for that."
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Rahma Diab attempts to keep Laila Baraka, the jammer from the opposing team, from passing her. In roller derby, points are scored when the jammer passes the pack of the opposite team.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Nouran El Kabbany, known as Minnie Mean, yells at teammates during a practice bout in late May.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Rahma Diab struggles within the pack to keep a jammer from getting through during practice in late May.
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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A friend helps Aya Tullah Youssef, known as Pariza, left, to remove her face paint. "I love my community," Youssef said. "I'm so glad to be a part of this game, and we all have the same love of derby."
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Rahma Diab rests after doing crunches during practice. "Derby is my baby," Diab said. "I get to have someplace where I go and feel free to do something that I really like."
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Rahma Diab smokes shisha with a friend in Cairo in late May. "Girls in Egypt, in their daily lives, are not expected to be violent or aggressive," Diab said. "They are expected to be good mannered, but in roller derby, it's a rebellious sport."
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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Rahma Diab, right, talks with friend Basem Abuarab before a concert in Al Azhar Park in late May in Cairo. "Things are changing for girls, especially after the revolution," Diab said. "The revolution was not only political, it changed some of the social life aspects."
PHOTOGRAPH BY: Christena Dowsett
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