Ship Stirrer and Vibe in action for Levin roller derby club Whenua Fatales recently.
By day they might go by their given names, like Sandra or Sarah.
But come game time, when they lace up their roller skates, members of the Whenua Fatales roller derby team unleash their alter-egos.
That's when Vibe, Ovary Action, Ship Stirrer, Hot Rod, Tasmanian Devil, Battle Panda, Sticky Knickers and Paddy Whacker come out to play.
Jay Aldridge, aka Crazy Crab, said new team members were encouraged to come up with their own name, but if they took too long then a name was given to them.
There was even a family connection in the team that went by the names Major Pain, Daisy Pain and Acute Pain.
Aldridge said she had never been "sporty" before and never played more traditional sporting codes like netball or hockey. In fact, roller derby was her first foray into the sporting arena.
She was handed a recruitment flyer by one of the Whenua Fatales team members during a Christmas Parade in Levin.
"I just thought 'why not?' It was one of the best things I ever did."
Aldridge, 44, said she joined Whenua Fatales 10 years ago. A few bumps and bruises later, she was still in the thick of the action.
"The empowerment you get from it ... it's empowering. It can bring out a whole new person."
Aldridge said fitness was key, as was an appreciation for the physicality of the sport. Any new recruits were given plenty of tuition and training sessions before they were let loose on the track.
"It's like human stockcars on skates.
"And you need to be fit. I used to smoke, but found I needed as much oxygen as I could get."
Aldridge said she even did a lot of street skating now and was buoyed by the number of people taking up the pastime, too.
"Have you ever seen a sad skater? People always smile when you go past and it brings happiness to other people, I find."
While it was a contact sport and there was the possibility of bruising, she suggested it was far less dangerous than rugby.
Players wore helmets, mouth guards, and wrist, elbow and knee pads, while shin pads were optional.
"We wear a lot of protective gear. We can take the falls a lot easier than some of the other sports."
Numbers had fallen when the club regrouped after lockdown, with players leaving for a variety of reasons including pregnancy, a move out of the area or work commitments.
Whenua Fatales were now on a recruitment drive.
Anyone wanting information could email whenuafrdl@gmail.com or visit their social media page.
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