AS I wobbled across the Greendown Community School sports hall it was hard to believe that most of the people whizzing around me had only been skating for a few months.

On Tuesday, I donned appropriate headgear and laced up a pair of rollerskates for a training session with the town’s newest all-female sports team, the Rail Road Rebels.

The seven-strong group, who are looking for new members, have started the town’s first roller derby team, a sport which recently caught the eye in the Hollywood film Whip It.

The high-energy game, known as a bout, sees teams of players, known as blockers and jammers, racing around the hall scoring points.

Founder of the team, Hayley Jackson, whose skating name is Sweet Mary Hell, said she had never skated before she started the group a few months ago.

“I put my first pair of skates on in October and I’m still not very good. I have never been the sort of girl who enjoyed PE at school,” she said.

The 30-year-old, who works as a pastoral assistant at Greendown School, said she has already dropped a dress size in the four months since she started.

“You work so many muscles, an hour of roller derby burns about 600 calories. It’s a bit like rugby on rollerskates. We went to watch it in Wales and it was the most exciting thing I had ever seen.

“It feels like a family, it’s all girls together while being really fit,” she said.

Hayley started the group after she was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalopathy (ME) in October 2008 and had to take months off work and use a wheelchair.

“I have never done a lot of sport and when I was ill I thought ‘If I get better I will do this and bring other people along for the ride’,” she said.

“I have swapped the wheelchair wheels for another set of wheels.”

At least another seven women are needed before they can join the roller derby league to compete against other towns.

Men are not allowed to play but they can referee and join the team’s skating practice.

The group teaches all new members how to play, fall safely, and they give everyone plenty of skating practice.

“You can be any shape or size and being a bit bigger can help. You must be aged over 18,” she said.

The first session is free and Hayley has some spare skates, pads and helmets people can borrow to try it out.

The two-hour weekly sessions held at 7pm on Tuesdays are £3.50. For more information contact Hayley by emailing railroadrebels@gmail.com