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Tribute
- Lifetime Achievement Award Right now fans we have a very special presentation, to the General Manager of the Orlando Thunder. A Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation to whom many consider the greatest roller derby skater to ever grace the banked track…the one and only, the Holy Roller herself, the great Judy Arnold! In 1961, her professional career began at 16 when Judy was signed by the San Francisco Bay Bombers. And amazingly, Judy won the 1961 Rookie of the Year in her very first season. And in 1967 she left the bay area to become captain of the Hawaiian Warriors which then became the Philadelphia Warriors. In fact, one of her Warrior teammates is here skating tonight, the great Richard Brown. Judy would remain the Philadelphia Warriors captain from 1967 through 1975. In 1972, at the peak of Judy’s career, the great roller derby movie “Kansas City Bomber” came out starring Raquel Welch. You may not know it, but Judy doubled for Raquel Welch in the skating scenes. In 1975, still going strong with the Warriors, and as popular as ever, Judy left her successful skating career and found her true calling, to be closer to the Lord. Her time was then spent preaching in churches and schools across the United States and she continues to do so to this day with her “Truth Ministries”. Some of the biggest and most famous arenas in the country from the Cow Palace to right here at Kezar Pavilion to Madison Square Garden to the Philadelphia Arena were regularly packed to standing room crowds….and one of the main reasons was to watch Judy Arnold skate. Without a doubt, no skater had a bigger impact on the game in a career that lasted for only some 14 years. And Judy was one of the first inductees into the National Roller Derby Hall of Fame in 2004 when it was re-opened. On behalf of the ARSD owner and commissioner Dan Ferrari and on behalf of the skaters in the league and all the fans who still support this great sport, tonight we are so pleased to honor with this Lifetime Achievement Award, the Holy Roller herself and the General Manager of the Orlando Thunder, the one, the only Judy Arnold!
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