From Steel City Roller Derby: It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our dear friend & teammate, Barbara Montgomery, known to many as S'FYA. S’FYA has been an institution at Steel City since transferring in 2016, having also skated for Youngstown Area Roller Derby and the Pennsylvania All-Stars Roller Derby where she was a team captain. S’FYA was known for her hard hits and her big heart, her trademark mirrored visor marking her as a Steel City icon. Widely loved by her family, friends, teammates, and the derby community at large, S’FYA leaves behind a legacy that we are so proud to be a part of.
There are hardly words for such awful news, but we send our love to her family and to all those who were lucky enough to know and to love her. We are grieving a titan of the sport and an incredible person, friend, and mother.
S’FYA will always have a presence in our league and in the hearts of those who were lucky enough to skate with her. We will be sharing our plans as to how we aim to continue to honor her in the coming weeks after consulting with her family and those closest to her.