Mingo's Assistant Refuge Manager has interesting pastime

Mingo's Assistant Refuge Manager has interesting pastime

By Kristin DeJournett-Simon

Lindsey Landowski, assistant refuge manager at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she developed a love of nature.

"My parents would push us out the door in the morning and we wouldn't come back until that night. My dad was into the outdoors. We were always camping and doing things outside," she recalls.

This love of nature led her down the career path of natural resource management. She obtained her bachelor's degree at the University of Wisconsin River Falls and her master's degree at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point. In 2001, when she was still in school, she began working for the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The career ladder has moved her and her family throughout the country, from Wisconsin to Minnesota, to Indiana, and now to Mingo.

As assistant refuge manager, Landowski is responsible for day-to-day activities at the refuge. She manages maintenance issues and works with biologists to prioritize habitat management activities. She lives on the refuge with her husband, Jon, and daughters Morgan, six, and Calleigh, four. The family enjoys life on the refuge and spends most of their time camping, fishing, or riding bikes.

With her ambition and her desire to learn and grow, perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that she recently decided to undertake roller derby, a sport many would find daunting. What makes this undertaking even more of a challenge is the fact that Landowski is deaf.

"I was playing softball in Cape but I wanted to try something new. I wanted to challenge myself and meet new people," Landowski explains. "I wanted to learn a new sport with new rules, and derby is also more of a physical challenge."

Roller derby is an extremely fast-paced game and players rely on verbal communication, so she has to find ways to communicate with her teammates.

"I can't always see people's mouths when skating so I have to overcome that challenge by finding ways to use hand signals," Landowski says. "Deafness is not a barrier; it's more of a challenge. You find ways to overcome those challenges. You look to see how you can utilize your other senses to overcome those issues."

Landowski is currently working to complete her 90-day "Fresh Meat" training period with the Cape Girardeau Roller Girls. In addition to teaching her teammates sign language, she's also managed to connect with other deaf and hard of hearing skaters on other teams.

"It's refreshing to read about other deaf people who have been playing a lot longer. They've helped me realize that as a deaf skater you have to come up with a different game plan. You have to rely a lot on your teammates and a lot of it deals with trusting your teammates because they're your eyes and your ears too," she says.

Despite the hard work involved in training for roller derby, Landowski won't give up.

"I don't like being told, 'No, you can't do it.' That makes me want to throw it back in your face and say, 'Yes, I can do it! You were wrong!'" she explains. "Roller derby empowers women. It's a way to step outside of your comfort zone and everyday roles. And my team is a really good support group. Everyone is always so encouraging."

The Cape Girardeau Roller Girls' season opening game will be held on April 4 at 6:00 p.m. at the AC Brase Arena Building in Cape.