Ann Calvello facts for kids
Ann Theresa Calvello (born August 1, 1929 – died March 14, 2006) was an amazing American athlete. She was a famous personality in the exciting sport of roller derby. Ann graduated from Presentation High School in San Francisco in June 1947.
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Ann Calvello: A Roller Derby Legend
Ann Calvello was a true superstar of roller derby. She competed in the sport for an incredible seven decades! Her career spanned from the 1940s all the way into the 2000s. She started in 1948 with a league called International Roller Speedway. Soon after, she joined the original Roller Derby team. Within six months, she became the women's 'Captain' of her team.
Ann's Unique Style and Rivals
Ann Calvello was known for her bold style. She often dyed her hair bright colors. Her uniform would match her hair! She was also famous for her fiery temper on the track. A legendary skater, Buddy Atkinson, Sr., even nicknamed her "Banana-Nose."
Ann traveled all over the world to skate. She competed in Europe, Guam, the Philippines, Cuba, Australia, and across the United States. She was a tough competitor. During her career, she broke her nose 12 times! Her most famous rival on the track was another great skater, Joan Weston.
Career Highlights and Achievements
Ann had a daughter named Teri Ann Langley-Conte in 1953. She was a top player for many years. Ann was named a perennial Roller Derby All-Star. She also won the league MVP (Most Valuable Player) award in 1963. At that time, she was skating with the Mexico City Cardenales.
After playing for a rival league called Roller Games for two years, Ann returned to the original Roller Derby. In 1968, she was honored by being inducted into the Roller Derby Hall of Fame. This showed how much she meant to the sport.
Ann's Legacy and Later Years
In 2001, a documentary film about Ann was made. It was called Demon of The Derby. This movie shared her incredible life story. It is available on DVD. Sometimes, it is shown at special events to help raise money for roller derby leagues.
A fan named Gary Powers helped Ann later in her life. He started the 'Roller Derby Foundation'. This foundation helped Ann and other skaters. Ann gave her huge collection of Roller Derby items to Gary. He then reopened the National Roller Derby Hall of Fame in 2004.
In 2005, Ann shared many rare photos and articles from her own collection. These were used in a book called Roller Derby Classics…and more! She even wrote the introduction for the book.
Ann also appeared on a reality television show. It was called Rollergirls and aired on the A&E Network in 2006. In one episode, members of the TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls traveled to California. They wanted to meet Ann, their hero. The TXRD league even named their championship trophy the Calvello Cup in her honor! Ann also appeared in the show's final episode.
Ann Calvello lived in San Bruno, California with her partner, Billy Prieto, and her cats. She never officially retired from roller derby. Her last competition was in 2000. However, in 2001, she skated one last time. She won a special race on the show RollerJam. Ann passed away in early 2006 at the age of 76.
