Gorge Roller Derby Skates 2,000 Miles for Pride Month

Happy to be out getting some exercise. GRD Rainbow Rollout on The Riverfront Trail in The Dalles.

Gorge Roller Derby is a tight knit family of athletes.

But Roller Derby is a contact sport.

And as a league, Gorge Roller Derby (GRD) had not been able to meet since the COVID pandemic began.

But that didn’t stop them from staying fit and staying connected.

“One way that we have found to stay connected to each other and the community, and to also encourage exercise in all forms, has been to do mileage challenges every few months,” said Jaqueline Roberts AKA GRD’s Pickle-Back Jacq number #911. 

GRD Rainbow Rollout at the Mosier Twin Tunnels Trail.

And Pride month holds special meaning to the team, which has done the work to create a culture of inclusivity in their league. GRD is the only adult sports leagues in The Dalles that welcomes transgender and nonbinary individuals to compete on the same team as cisgender women.

And like the competitive athletes they are, of course they wanted to celebrate Pride month (and their teams rainbow of identities), with their toughest mileage challenge yet…

“In honor of Pride month, we decided to reach for our highest goal yet: 2,000 miles in one month,” said Roberts. “So as a community we skated, ran, biked, walked... we moved. We also hosted weekly Pride Rainbow Rollout events around the Gorge that provided opportunities to celebrate Pride while skating together.” 

Smiling faces tell the tale. GRD Rainbow Rollout on the Riverfront Trail in The Dalles.

And by June 30th they had not only met-but shattered their highest mileage goal yet.

Together they skated over 2,136 miles!

Even after a tough year for contact sports, GRD managed so stay connected as a team and came out the other side looking as strong as ever. Without a doubt this team will be ready to hit the track together again come fall.

“We cannot wait to be back out on the track come fall, and this has been a wonderful way to stay engaged,” said Roberts.

GRD kept track of their miles on a rainbow scoreboard to mark important milestones!