SPORTS AND RECREATION

Skating Marathon Returns for an Epic Second Year

Meet Cheryl Cryer as she prepares to compete at the Florida Inline Skating Marathon.

By Alexis George

Under 50 days. That is when Cheryl Cryer will compete in the Florida Inline Skating Marathon on Oct.16.

Launched in October 2021, the Florida Inline Skating Marathon’s (FISM) mission is to elevate and enhance the awareness of the sport of Skate. The end goal is to provide national and international competition to skaters of all ages and skill sets. Cryer is a skater and athlete who agrees that skating is a sport. It is also her favorite pastime.

Lover of Skating

“I started skating when I was about 5-years-old,” she says. “My aunt would take me and my cousin skating at the roller rink when we were little. We had all our birthday parties there. I just have so many warm memories of that all the way into high school.” As her kids were born, Cryer put down the skates. But when they went off to high school, she was asked on a date to the roller rink. Cryer was giddy. “One of the dates we went on they had this sign that said: ‘try out for roller derby,’ and so I did,” she says. That was in 2010-2011 and Cryer has been skating ever since. She even had a roller derby wedding in 2016.

Why Marathon’s

Last year when turning 50, Cryer discovered FISM. She jumped at the chance to compete. Visiting Florida a month before the marathon, Cryer decided to view the track since it was her first time competing in a marathon. “I drove to Sarasota to skate the track just to see it, and I got scared so I changed my registration to a half marathon,” she says. “And I thought, ‘first year, fine’, but what motivated me was my love for skating. I just wanted to prove to myself that I can still do things; I can still set goals.” The half-marathon is 13 miles, a distance that Cryer is familiar with. And she did complete it easily. So, taking her momentum from last year, Cryer is set to compete against other quads skaters in the full-length marathon this time around. “I know I can do it,” she says.

Competition Ready

To prepare, Cryer practices Roller Derby two nights a week for a total of five hours. Outside of practice, she skates outside 15 hours a week. “I’ll keep doing that and then once a month I’m going to do a big skate of 26-30 miles just to get ready for the marathon,” Cryer says. After one year, the FISM is the largest skate race in Florida, and the second largest in the nation. The FISM is held at the World Class venue- Nathan Benderson Park, in Sarasota, Florida. For more information visit https://floridainlineskatingmarathon. com/

Bio:

Cheryl Cryer’s nickname “CryBaby Cryer” comes from her passion and dedication to her most beloved sport — roller derby. After starting a multiruleset, non-gendered league in the Chicagoland area, competing at tournaments both home and abroad, and surrounding herself with amazing athletes of all levels, she continues to skate, coach, and guide training programs and wellness strategies. Splitting her time between Illinois and Florida, Cryer is known for her commitment to family and entrepreneurial drive. This year she celebrates five years as a small-business owner, CryBaby Wellness. Cryer has 22 years’ experience in global marketing and growth strategies in technology and professional services.

Cheryl Cryer

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