I dropped out of Birmingham University in the Easter of my first year. The course wasn’t what I expected, and I was so unhappy. I moved back in with my mum at our council house in Lincoln and got a part-time job as a cleaner. I was getting more and more down. My mum had started going to this roller derby thing and dragged me along. I hadn’t roller-skated since I was eight, but I loved it.
Roller derby is a team sport, played on an oval track about the length of four badminton courts. On the track at any one time are four blockers and one jammer from each team. It’s a point-scoring sport, and the jammer is effectively the ball. The basic premise is to get your jammer out of the pack of blockers and around the track, while preventing the opposition jammer from doing the same.
It’s a full-contact sport and knocks happen, but we try to be as safe as possible. We wear helmets, mouth guards, knee, elbow and wrist pads; you can’t target the neck, head or anywhere below the knee. It’s physical, but not aggressive. The roller derby community is great and everybody hugs and high-fives at the end of a game.
It requires a unique type of fitness. Bouts are 60 minutes long and you’re repeatedly knocked to the floor. It’s intense. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been as a result and I feel more at home in my body. I’ve always been aware that I have hips and a bum, and I used to be very shy about it. Now, I definitely own the space I’m in.
Joining the sport at 18, I had my eyes opened to a lot of strong, empowering women. They made me realise I didn’t need to put so much pressure on myself to follow a particular path. A few months after I started playing, I applied to the University of Lincoln. I got in, completed my degree and now live and work in London. Without a doubt, roller derby had a big impact on where I am now.
My weekend workout
How often do you train? Three times a week with my team and twice a week at the gym.
Number of bouts? Nine in the last year (we won seven).
Proudest achievement? Getting accepted into Europe’s number one league, London Rollergirls.
Favourite soundtrack to skate to? Elastic Heart by Sia – it has a really nice beat.
Five ways to get started: roller derby
1 Don’t worry if you can’t roller-skate. All clubs run programmes for newbies. It can take up to a year to feel confident enough to play competitively, so be patient.
2 You can never be low enough in roller derby. Practise skating with knees bent and your weight in your heels. This is a strong position with a low centre of gravity and gives you more control. If you stand upright, you’re like a pendulum, very unbalanced.
3 Don’t be scared of falling over. One of the first things you learn is how to fall safely, which tends to be on to your knee pads. You’ll be skating around, someone will blow a whistle and you all have to fall on your knees. It’s a real laugh.
4 Roller derby’s not just for girls. The men’s sport has grown a lot, though the teams are more spread out because there isn’t the same level of uptake. Some leagues even have co-ed games.
5 There are hundreds of teams all over Europe. Just type “roller derby” and the name of your nearest city into Google to find your local league. Then keep an eye out for their next new intake.
Essential kit
Smith Scabs Elite II knee pads, £65.95, doublethreatskates.co.uk
Bont Quadstar skates, £229.95, doublethreatskates.co.uk
Constellations leggings, £40, thepowerofgreyskull.com
• Do you have a passion for exercise? Send your story to [email protected]
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