Roller derby is a cultural phenomenon and one of the fastest growing sports in Europe. It is a sport created by, and for, women and in Hell on Wheels, the Cardiff-based Tiger Bay Brawlers take on the biggest challenge of their sporting lives.
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Focusing on the fortunes of the Brawlers, the programme charts the lives of Wales’ first and best roller derby team as they compete in the European Continental Championships.
Laura Kemp, a member of the Tiger Bay Brawlers, said; “When we started this journey we didn’t know what to expect other than we wanted to share our experience of roller derby with the wider community. To have our friendships, our highs and lows and the hard work as amateur athletes that we put into our sport captured in such a beautiful and moving documentary means more than words can say. We know roller derby can change the world, now everyone else will be able to see that too.”
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Directed by Toby Cameron, who made the film with Folk Films as part of the first BBC Cymru Wales’ New Documentary Directors Initiative, Hell on Wheels shares the stories of those who make up the team.
Kim Wild, another member of the team, said; “It’s great that we now have something to look back on that perfectly captures our journey to the Continental Cup last year. For most of us, the Cup was a real highlight of our derby careers, so to have that memory caught on film is really lucky. I’m not really sure where I’d be in life if I hadn’t found roller derby. It pushes me to want to be the best version of myself I can be. For my teammates but also for myself. It’s given me confidence and purpose beyond what I ever believed possible.”
- HELL ON WHEELS
- Wednesday 7 August
- BBC One Wales, 10.35pm
