IT'S a high-octane, full contact sport and it's about to hit North East Lincolnshire with a bang – Roller Derby is coming to town.
When Sandra Ritchie decided to take on a fitness drive after the birth of her child, she could have taken up cycling, walking, or some other sedate means of exercise.
But instead, she decided to try out the rough-and-tumble sport of Roller Derby.
It is one of the fastest growing women's sport in the world – although male sides do exist – and involves two teams of five players, battling it out over hour-long 'bouts'.
A bout takes place on an oval track, where team members – four 'blockers' and a 'jammer' will use any legal means necessary to block or knock the opposing team over in order to get their jammer through and score points.
When Ritchie found out that the area didn't have a team, she and a group of friends decided to set up their own.
The result is the Grim Reavers – Grimsby and Cleethorpes' first ever team.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Sandra explained: "I was having a bit of fitness kick, trying to lose a bit of weight after having my third and final baby.
"So I took up running and joined the gym, which was all well and good, but it wasn't that exciting," she said.
"I've got a few friends that do Roller Derby in the areas where they live and I thought – 'I wouldn't mind trying that'.
"And so I went on Facebook and asked if we had a team around here that I could train with and the general consensus was that there wasn't one in the immediate area.
"But I got a lot of feedback from local people saying how much they'd like to give it a go if a team could be set up around here, and so it was a case of 'let's do it – let's start a team'.
"It all just went from there really."
After only a few weeks since its inception, the team is now holding weekly training sessions at Grimsby's YMCA on Peaks Lane.
The ultimate aim is for the Reavers to eventually meet the criteria laid down by the UK Roller Derby Association, enabling them to take part in bouts against teams from across the country.
But Sandra said that for now, the sole focus is growing the team and allowing its members to have fun while also keeping fit.
"We've only just having our first couple of training sessions and it has been amazing to watch this idea turn into reality – it's literally happened over a couple of weeks, it's been amazing.
"We've got a team name, a team logo by a tattooist in Louth and we're ready to go now – there is a lot of people backing it and it's really exciting.
"We have around 20 players already, which is fantastic considering how early it all is.
"There is a real cross section of people, we've got some who are experienced in roller derby right down to complete beginners.
"We've got to train hard for six months, pass our basic skills test and once we've done that, we can start going to bouts and then after that we can join the UK Roller Derby Association and play teams from all over the country – that's the ultimate aim.
"It's a rapidly growing sport and it's a fun and exciting way of getting fit.
"It is a contact sport and there are going to be injuries but people can just come along and take part for fitness and not necessarily join the team."
She added: "It's completely new to the area – it's never been done before so we're testing the water with it at the minute, but so far, it's going really well."
WHAT IS ROLLER DERBY?
Roller Derby is a full contact sport played on roller skates. There are five players from each team on the track at any one time; four Blockers and one Jammer. The Jammers need to get round the track passing opposing team members to earn points, the other teams Blockers will be trying to stop her and vice versa.
Roller Derby originated in America and was first played in Chicago in 1935. Each game lasts one hour.
There are 64 pages of rules and an astonishingly varied array of tactics, including 'Ending the Jam', 'Passing the Star' and 'Goating'.
Get involved
The Grim Reavers Roller Derby team train every Sunday at the YMCA, Peaks Lane.
Men and women over the age of 18 are welcome.
For more information, call Sandra on 07850211027 or email lolaheart.grimreavers@gmail.com or search for Grim Reavers on Facebook.
