Memories of her country ravaged by civil war, cholera and famine, and constant worries over her family cast a dark shadow over Hadeel al-Hubaishi’s life as a student in Beirut. She left her native Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, to study at the American University of Beirut on a Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) scholarship in 2014. Little did she know that a civil war would break out in her country shortly after her departure, making it difficult to visit her family.

Then, at the beginning of 2015, her MEPI friend Nada Ben Jemaa — and Elisabeth Wolffhechel, a Danish humanitarian worker — made her an offer that would first become a distraction and then a passion: to help them establish the first roller derby club in the city.

“At that time, I was looking for a fun activity to do outside academic and work life, so I told them I would join them every weekend,” Hubaishi told Al-Monitor.

In a few weeks, Hubaishi became one of the pioneers of Lebanese roller derby — a contact sport played with two teams of five players on roller skates. The players skate clockwise and clash often. Despite the protective pads and helmets that are part of the gear, the game is rough, with injuries that range from bruises to broken ankles.