Layla Wishard, known in the roller derby world as Baby Stretch, is a rising star whose passion for the sport, hard work and skill have earned her a place on JRDA USA’s Junior World Cup Roller Derby team. Layla, a Maryland native, is the only junior player from Maryland to be selected for the world team and will proudly represent both Maryland and the USA in Australia this summer. Practicing severa
l days a week and spending her evenings studying roller derby film, she dedicated herself to becoming a student of the sport. At 15, she made history by becoming one of the youngest people to skate in the USA Roller Sports National Championship in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her team, Beast Side Roller Derby, earned a bronze medal. The following year, Layla returned to the national stage at 16, taking second place in both the open division (Open Gender) and in the women's division, again with Beast Side. Her home team, Maryland Area Roller Sports Junior Derby (MARS) based in Hagerstown, Maryland has seen remarkable success, quickly becoming a top team on the east coast and beyond. In addition to many regular season wins, MARS earned a second-place finish at the regional championships in both 2022, 2023 and 2024. As a captain of MARS, Layla is not only a skilled athlete but also a mentor to others. When she’s not skating, she loves to coach the up and coming skaters and to referee games, giving back to the sport she loves. Layla’s journey is made even more special by the close-knit roller derby family that supports her. Her father, Terry Wishard (aka Stretch Harmstrong), is a two-time world champion with Team USA Roller Derby and serves as Layla’s coach and sometimes teammate. Layla’s brother, Isaac (aka Stretch Junior), and her stepmom, Jessica (aka Shake and Bake), are also very accomplished skaters, making roller derby a true family affair. While Layla’s mom, Emily Keller does not skate herself, she is the Harmstrong family’s biggest fan and can’t wait to see her daughter skate on the world stage this summer. When she isn’t in skates, Layla is a junior at the Boyd J. Michael III Technical High School in Hagerstown, MD where she studies Criminal Justice and is currently maintaining a 3.94 GPA. After high school she plans to attend a 4 year university.