British Airways is looking for British talent

Winning would mean being able to push myself to a new level as a sportswoman, and help the fledgling women's sport of Roller Derby grow and be recognised throughout the UK. The London Rollergirls are working hard in order to raise enough funds to fly our All Stars team, of which I am captain, over to the US and take up the invitation to train with Gotham Girls Roller Derby in New York – the top ranked US Roller Derby team.

In July we hosted and won the inaugural European Roller Derby tournament in Earls Court, London. We brought together over 12 European teams for this weekend event which culminated in the London Rollergirls comfortably winning the title of European Champions. Training with the Gotham Girls will let us take UK roller derby to the next level. We are hoping to take full advantage of our trip across the pond and play at least four US teams along the East Coast of the US to maximise our learning. We are fundraising hard to raise cash for this trip – winning this competition would take us a big step towards achieving our goal.

This is more than just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and my team to play at the very top of our game; it's an opportunity for the sport of Roller Derby as a whole. Along with other members of London Rollergirls, I have been active in travelling around the UK and Europe, coaching other teams as far afield as Glasgow and Berlin. The skills we will learn taking on the titans of the sport will be passed on to benefit the entire UK Roller Derby community and this opportunity would mean really putting UK Roller Derby on the map. It’s not just one skater this would make a difference to, it’s over 400 roller derby players in the existing 23 leagues in the UK, and the hundreds that are waiting for a team to appear in their city or town.

I fell in love with Roller Derby two years ago, it changed my life from that of a sedentary, inactive woman to a complete Roller Derby addict. I knew I would love the sport but I was not prepared for the camaraderie, community and sense of group ownership. We train at least three times per week, we run everything ourselves – from training, PR, events and sponsorship – and we are all passionate about taking UK Roller Derby to new heights. We don't have a dedicated coach, instead myself and a few of our other top skaters dedicate time to learn from other leagues and pass on skills to our fellow skaters during our training sessions. The offer of training with the best Roller Derby team and to learn from their coaches is a fantastic opportunity for us. We always seek to push ourselves and constantly look forward to the next challenge. Now that we are European Champions, taking our skates to the US is exactly that next step we need to develop our players and the reputation of UK leagues in the US.

Some of you are probably asking – what on earth is Roller Derby? Well, it's is a fast-paced, full contact sport on skates. Two teams take to the track, each consisting of four blockers and a jammer. Points are scored by the jammers passing through the pack of skaters and then lapping and passing again. The blockers try to stop the opposing jammer whilst helping their own jammer through. They do this by strategic blocking and hitting so the jammers duck, dodge and weave their way through with each player trying to avoid penalties throughout. Each jam can last up to two minutes, with a full game being two 30-minute periods.

Roller Derby has had an amazing impact on my life: making me healthier, more confident, and providing a supportive worldwide network of lifelong female friends. I want to make sure the sport becomes as popular here as it is in the States.