He hoped to become a jockey, but his weight reached 115 pounds (52 kg), and he turned his attention to roller skating.
[1] He joined the roller derby at the age of seventeen,[2] initially skating for the Los Angeles Braves.
[1] He soon moved to the Miami Westerners and,[3] despite being the shortest male skater, he immediately became regarded as a star, leading the scoring.
[4] Valladares joined the rival Roller Games on its inception, in 1960, becoming a founder member of the Los Angeles Thunderbirds team.
[5] He spent the next thirty years with the organization, and was involved in coaching, and also in setting up events in Japan and Australia.