2,800-mile trek brings Colorado team to Berwick

A Colorado women’s roller derby team, on a mission to raise funds to stop domestic violence and sexual assault, skated their way into the Tri-City area Sunday as part of a 2,800-mile trip across the country.
Kim Bouldin, 43, of Salida, Colorado; Brenna Eaker, 29, of Salida, Colorado; Gracie Cole, 31, of Nathrop, Colorado; and Rebecca Hudson, 30, of Buena Vista, Colorado, stopped in Berwick on Sunday to spend the night. All are members of a roller derby team called the Ark Valley High Rollers on a journey they’re calling “States on Skates.”
On March 5, the roller skaters began their trek, which will lead them through eight states, in Cocoa Beach, Florida, and hope to finish May 21 in Santa Monica, California. The team is trying to raise $50,000 for the Joyful Heart Foundation. Team members are raising awareness and funds to stop domestic violence and sexual assault worldwide. The “No More” campaign is funded by the foundation, Hudson said.
It is a “public media campaign to get the word out that it’s ok to talk about and say ‘no’ to domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse,” Bouldin said. “It’s the same campaign that was highlighted during the Super Bowl.”
The team stayed Sunday night in Berwick with Alison Wilson and her husband, Mitchell.
“She opened her home to us, and we’re so appreciative,” Bouldin said.
A friend of a friend of one of the team members in Colorado happens to be the daughter of a childhood friend of Wilson. That friend told Wilson the group was going to pass through Morgan City, Wilson said.
Wilson emailed the team, offered them a place to stay, and the group gladly accepted, she said.
Members of Ark Valley High Rollers have found people to stay along the way through mutual friends and have also stayed with other roller derby leagues, at hotels and at campsites, Bouldin said.
They skated 44 miles Sunday when they came into Berwick after nearly nine hours on the road. The team has skated more than 800 miles.
Team members started with a passion for their area’s local domestic violence program, and then chose the Joyful Hearts Foundation, a national organization, to raise money for on their cross-country trip, Bouldin said.
Betty Richter, 30, of Salida, Colorado, who is also a member of the team, took Sunday afternoon off because her ankle was hurting, she said. But she planned to get right back out there this morning. She got a ride to Berwick with a player from another roller derby league, who happened to show up along the route, Richter said.
The cause is important because so many people are affected by domestic violence, Richter said.
“There’s no one type of person that it affects. So our cause potentially affects everyone, any walk of life,” Richter said.
With the exception of Cole, this adventure is the first of the kind that any of the other team members have experienced. Cole rode a unicycle across the United States twice, once from coast to coast and once from Canada to Mexico off road, she said. She also did those trips for a cause, and knew how to implement that aspect of the trip into planning for the journey, Cole said.
The skaters are entirely self-supported and have only been escorted by police in a couple towns, Bouldin said.
“There’s just something to the freedom of it and not having to depend on a vehicle,” Bouldin said.
Given the empowerment aspect of the cause, making the trip self-supported was “a neat way to connect with that aspect,” Cole said.
For survivors of abuse or for people currently going through abuse, it’s good for those people to know that they have allies and that help is available, Cole said.
“I think sometimes people feel trapped in those situations,” Cole said.
Team members attended a gala Saturday night in Houma for the local domestic violence program, Bouldin said. Almost every day since arriving in Pensacola, Florida, the team has had dinner or a place to stay or dinner courtesy of a roller derby league, Bouldin said.
All of the team members except Hudson are taking the entire 2,800-mile journey. Hudson is going 1,068 miles of the trip, joining the journey in Tallahassee, Florida. She will finish in Austin, Texas, where she has family. Hudson has not done many athletic endeavors in the past so she got a gym membership and did cross training, she said.
“I’m all here for the cause. That’s my biggest thing. I’m actually a survivor myself,” Hudson said. “It’s been amazing to meet other survivors and have them skate with us or come tell us their stories.”
Hudson described the journey as “very, very healing” for her.
Most roller derby teams have a mission, Hudson said.
“We’re empowering women, children, men, victims, survivors,” Hudson said.
“It’s been completely overwhelming and just so much love from these derby teams. I could not even believe how much support we’ve gotten.”
People have been extremely generous with their donations, Hudson said.
Ark Valley High Rollers chose this route partly because state laws allow for them to skate on the highways, Hudson said.
Eaker has been “very blessed” to make the journey, she said. The group has many long, boring stretches of highway to travel on along the way. Team members don’t even speak to one another because they’re focused, Eaker said.
Each stroller is packed with about 100 pounds of gear. The team was planning to leave Berwick this morning to continue their journey.
To donate to the team’s cause, visit statesonskates.com and click on the “donate” button. All money donated goes directly to the Joyful Heart Foundation.

This story was written by Zachary Fitzgerald of The Daily Review staff. Reach him at zfitzgerald@daily-review.com