IT\u2019S been a year and a half since the Dragon City Roller Derby\u2019s representative team, the Chiko Rollers, have played in a statewide competition, but club members are determined to continue the sport they love.<\/p>\n
With each COVID-19 lockdown coinciding with their planned games, Dragon City has instead redirected their efforts to take advantage of eased restrictions where possible and just roll with it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve tried really hard over the past year and a half to make the most of whatever we can do at the time,\u201d recruitment coordinator Bec Fisher said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt some stages that\u2019s meant we\u2019ve managed to get back to full training but at other times there\u2019s nothing going on.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn those times we really try and encourage our members to continue skating outdoors where they can, when you\u2019re allowed to exercise only with one other person to put a shout out if you\u2019re going for a skate and see if anyone in your five-kilometre bubble can come with you.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe interact a lot online with each other and really just try and check in and make sure that when restrictions ease, we\u2019ve still got club members to come back to training.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe latest lifting of restrictions means that we can skate outdoors in groups of up to 10, so it\u2019s been really great to see our members taking advantage of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Fisher said roller skating has become increasingly popular during the pandemic, with more people choosing to lace up their boots for some physical exercise and fun.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s actually been really lovely that it is a sport that you can, even in the deepest of the lockdowns, go outside and roller skate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can do it on your own if you have to, even though it\u2019s not quite as fun, and it\u2019s been a really good way to continue to be active.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been really great to see how many people have picked up roller skating over the last two years, there\u2019s been a huge amount of interest which is great for us. Hopefully interest in roller skating converts to interest in roller derby.\u201d<\/p>\n
Around 40 people actively participate in the club, which has been around for over a decade, and Ms Fisher said the unique sport was inclusive of all.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to make everyone know that they\u2019re welcome to come and skate with us,\u201d she said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to have a sporting history, you don\u2019t have to have a particular body shape.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really think that roller derby is for everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IT\u2019S been a year and a half since the Dragon City Roller Derby\u2019s representative team, the Chiko Rollers, have played in a statewide competition, but club members are determined to continue the sport they love. With each COVID-19 lockdown coinciding with their planned games, Dragon City has instead redirected their efforts to take advantage of […]<\/p>\n