Rollergirl
The spry granny rolling down Mount Gambier’s rail trail in bright pink blades on a Friday morning waving at cars causes more than a few heads to swivel and surprised stares.
Hang on, grandmas don’t rollerblade….do they?
Then you spot the slightly askew wig, the wrinkle-free skin and the remarkably fleet feet. Maybe this grandma ain’t so old after all.
When Candi Mendoza Nunez straps her blades on, she puts on her alter ego.
Any rancho bizarro character can burst out of her box of tricks.
Monday might see her in fairy wings, a traditional Peruvian princess might emerge on Tuesday and Sunday could be all about Superman.
“I love the dressing up and waving,” she says. “The little ones, they stare at you from the cars.”
Her own little ones – baby Mateo and 3-year-old Letissia – are often part of the act, barrelling serenely along in their pram while a costumed Candi rolls onwards, the coolest mum in town.
Her favoured headgear is nothing more than a pair of headphones, generally blasting out disco tunes.
Learning to rollerblade in her home country of Peru, Candi said the mode of transport generally reserved for angsty teenagers wasn’t popular at all.
“The traffic is feral back home and the roads have lots of bumps. I used to hang onto the backs of buses in Lima to get places.”
Moving to Mount Gambier in 2018, Candi started using her blades more and more to get around.
“My husband really wants me to take the car, but I love rollerblading so much. You feel like you can fly.”
Now she’s a one-woman welcome wagon around the streets of Mount Gambier and the city’s rail trail, delivering waves and high-fives to passers-by.
Life as Mount Gambier’s random rollergirl has brought her out of herself, she says.
Today, she may play Grandma for kicks, but tomorrow, who knows…?
“I was the complete opposite in Peru. I never took risks and wanted to play according to the rules all the time,” she says.
“Now, I think life is too short. It moves fast so get out of your comfort zone and do what makes you happy.”