DISABILITY SPORT D R M
my limb difference has never been an issue. In fact, as a grassroots sport ‘for the players by the players’, roller derby prides itself on being inclusive and diverse. When I’m on the track I feel invincible, like a superhero! I can do things with my body, and move at speeds that wouldn’t be possible off-skates and that gives me a huge sense of freedom. I then became involved in coaching juniors and helping to form Team GB Junior Roller Derby.
“THE GAME IS FAST AND FURIOUS AND ONCE YOU SEE IT YOU’RE HOOKED.”
CONSIDER THIS!
Roller Derby
Have you ever heard of Roller Derby? We spoke to Bev Gormley to learn more about this surprisingly inclusive sport. I’M Bev Gormley and I was born missing my left arm below the elbow, but I’ve never let that hold me back! I’m a Programme Manager for a Charity called the Heritage Trust Network and work with community groups and organisations who are rescuing and restoring historic buildings. I am also a roller derby player and coach.
What is Roller Derby and how did you get started? My journey into roller derby started back in the 1980s when I used to spend more time on skates than in shoes! It was the heyday of the roller disco and I was very lucky that my school held one every Saturday. We could even skate instead of doing PE sometimes! After a 25-ish year break I rediscovered my love of skating when my daughter started to go to a roller disco that had just started nearby. That’s where I bumped into the first
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roller derby player I’d ever seen. She looked the epitome of cool and told me all about the Lincolnshire Bombers roller derby team. Two weeks later I’d bought a pair of roller derby skates and attended my first training session! Roller derby is a full-contact sport played on quad roller skates, by two teams of players skating around an elliptical track. It consists of a series of two-minute countdown jams and lasts for 60 minutes. The skaters do their utmost to stop the opposing Jammer (the point scorer) passing them and scoring points by using shoulder/hip checks, shoving them out of the way or knocking them to the ground. The game is fast and furious and once you see it you’re hooked.
How does Roller Derby work with your impairment? During my time with the Lincolnshire Bombers and now Grimsby Grim Reavers,
You recently received your Hero Arm, can you tell us more about this and how it might impact you in roller derby? My Hero Arm has completely changed my life, and has brought a little bit of the superhero into everyday activities. I no longer try to hide my prosthetic arm and love it when people ask me about it. Once we’re allowed to start playing roller derby again I’ll be wearing my hero arm while coaching and every minute up until the point where the full contact starts. It will increase my confidence so much that I’ll be standing 7 feet tall and people won’t be able to ignore the fact that having a disability doesn’t have to stop you getting involved in team sport.
Why should disabled people to give roller derby a go? Over the last 9 years I’ve coached and have played alongside numerous people with visible and hidden disabilities. Teams across the UK regularly hold free taster sessions where you can borrow skates and kit. Roller derby not only needs players, it needs referees, non-skating officials, game-day organisers and fundraisers, so if skating’s not for you there are lots of ways to be part of the team!
Tw i t te r: @ B i o n i c B eve r l ey Fa ce b oo k: fa c e book .co m/B i o n i c B eve r l ey L i n ke d I n: l i n ked i n.co m/i n/b eve r l eyg o r m l ey/
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