Her office colleagues call her Katie, but, on the track, she’s known as “PsychoKat.” 

Katie Bourner, a British-born Frenchwoman, discovered roller derby through a friend who saw it in action in Canada. Anxious to see a game, Katie searched the internet for roller derby leagues, but couldn’t find any in her town of Nantes. The closest she could find was a team in Paris, so she made the trip to see the sport for herself. Inspired by her meeting with the women on the team, she returned home and founded Nantes Derby Girls. 

Despite having a master’s degree in professional analyses and social interventions, Katie says everything in her life now is a means to roller derby and aiding its expansion throughout France and the rest of Europe. On top of her full-time job and her roles with the Nantes Derby Girls, Katie also served as the French liaison to the Women’s Flat Track Roller Derby Association, the international governing body for the sport. 

Katie believes roller derby can serve an important role in women’s empowerment, inclusion, and the development of positive body image for thousands of women in her country.