Beach volleyball was the hardest sport that Jess Grimson ever tried and that struggle for mastery has driven her to a second Commonwealth Games. Initially bound for a college soccer scholarship in the USA, the Leeds star spiked for the first time aged 13 at the behest of her pioneering P.E teacher. The four-time British champion reached the quarter-finals at Gold Coast 2018 with Victoria Palmer and will competed on home sand with a new partner in Daisy Mumby.
In this episode Jess discusses:
- Being introduced to Volleyball by her PE Teacher.
- The challenge of being involved in an emerging sport in the UK.
- The injuries and challenges she’s faced over the course of her career.
- Having to self fund or attract sponsors where possible to fund travel and tournaments.
- Dealing with a hard injury in the lead up to the 2022 Games.
- Her experiences at the 2018 Games in the Gold Coast vs the 2022 Games in Birmingham.
- Being a pioneer in the sport to clear the way for future generations.
- What she will take away from the sport. Life beyond volleyball.
You can listen to the episode in full here.
You can keep up to date with jess via Instagram: @jgrim02 .
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Rob Anderson
Yes, welcome to the podcast is awesome to have you on. Thanks for your time today.
Jess Grimson
No, thanks for having me.
Rob Anderson
So we’ll dig into the Commonwealth Games, both the Gold Coast and berming in a bit. But before we do that, let’s take us back to the young Yes, before you discovered volleyball what were some of the sports you were involved in playing and what kind of activities you get involved in when your youngster
Jess Grimson
I think probably like most athletes, obviously just love sport. My main upbringing was football. But I think that was due to my brother and my dad playing and being heavily interested in watching. So from a I guess what, four or five year old growing up near Manchester became obsessed with Man United, obviously. So yeah, I used to play a lot of football playing the garden and just generally love being outside and being active. And then as guests getting into school, I sort of did everything really like I was kind of Captain of every sport played everything. Not hugely academic. Just love sport. So football was the main one. But at school played a lot of played everything really a lot of athletics at Sprint, as well. But we played rugby, football, hockey, basketball, netball, everything really went to every lunchtime club every after school club. Yeah, and just to everything I think it was, I was probably about 1213 Maybe and I got into the Brighton set up for football. So played for Brighton played County. And that was my main thing. Were parents driving me to Brighton two to three times a week to train travelling all over the country or the weekends. And that was sort of through to sort of 1617 But yeah, it was everything and anything really. But mainly, I’d say football was the big one for me.
Rob Anderson
So how did volleyball stumble into your life?
Jess Grimson
And it stumbled into my life as 13 I think it’s pretty well known from conversations before that. My high school PE teacher played for England. So Frieda Busey, she was ahead of PE at school. And she actually used play for England and obviously sort of made volleyball part of the curriculum. At that particular school, I was at volleyball, I’d never heard of it never come across it growing up in the north. Absolutely no idea what it was. And she sort of approached me I was like, you know, pre athletic. I think you should try volleyball, staying sport, I didn’t play pretty much. And obviously being a new sport. Yeah, great wanting to try it. And absolutely hated it. I think especially playing a sport where you use your feet and not your hands. To them playing a sport we use your hands and not your fee was a really difficult transition for me. But I liked the challenge. As much as I didn’t enjoy the sport itself. It was very complicated with so many rules. There’s so many skills to it, which I didn’t maybe appreciate at the time that I do now. Yeah, I just wanted to go into every club possible for these takers to actually go in, which was about 45 minutes drive from where I lived, to train with a junior setup. And yeah, I just I liked the challenge. And I got better and better and better. And I enjoyed the progress with it. And then I got to about 1516 And I was invited to the England setup. So had us all make a decision at that age football revival. And as much as I was I was pretty good at football at the time. I thought maybe I’d peaked a bit early and I saw more progression with volleyball, I saw more places to go with it. Whereas I think I’ve probably gone as far as I was going to go with football. So just sort of persevere from then really. So 16 onwards was really sort of when it really started to kick off.
Rob Anderson
It’s probably worth making the distinction. Now we’re probably at the moment talking about indoor volleyball army vs dt. So when the when the transition to beach kind of pop up.
Jess Grimson
So, again, Frieda used to obviously I grew up from like nine onwards in Wyoming. And I don’t know if you’re familiar, but there’s pebbled beaches in Wyoming. So the closest facilities we had was in Brighton so yellow wave had like an outdoor manmade facility. So occasionally went there. But as like a little trip in the summer, sandbanks used to run some really, really big in national beach events for all age groups. So I think even from like under 12 and 14 and six in the ratings, both genders and seniors. So she’s take us in the summer to some of those events. And I think I just loved it being outside being on the beach, being in the sun, playing other sports not being your average girl that’s not afraid to sort of hit the ground and get sound in our face. I think I took to it quite quickly because I liked the aspects of you know how pathetic it was and you could sort of do it and you didn’t hate selfie jumping around, landing on nice soft sand. So, just really enjoyed it. And then I was probably I think 17 I was at college on a sports scholarship for indoor volleyball. And I got asked to compete in the world and 20 ones, which was going to age group category for Worlds on the beach. So me and my best friend at the time, Susan played that. And then the year after I played again with a different partner, I was 18 1819 Actually, I think I’m in first year of university was with other good friend Lizzie. But yeah, that’s sort of where that stemmed from. And we we as a country, then, apart from the seniors, obviously, that played a little bit later on at the Olympics. Just an there was no level of beach volleyball in this country. There’s no support, no acknowledgement for it. And we as much as we tried to hire less, we had some coaching we got absolutely battered. And I think goes one of two ways. You either go call not for me, you’re not good enough where you go, how do I get good enough? And for me at the time, it was like how do I get good enough. So it sort of sparked something in me to sort of see where I could take it. All the people I was playing against played full time training full time, full time programmes, everything. So at 18 I went to Bath University, where the team GB programme was based. Ironically, like a few months after I went there, it moved to Australia. programme. very local. Yeah, excellent. So all the money and all the programme, all the coaches and all the all the players moved to us, which wasn’t ideal, because that was the only reason I went to bath really. But we still had some access to that, you know, whereas actually beach volleyball courts at Bath University, which was great. And we still had some very good coaches around that again, I ended up playing indoor for the university travelled to Bournemouth to play for Wessex, which was indoor National League, they were like one of the best teams in the country at the time, and then just played beach as and when I could, but still allowed me a lot more access to it than I had previously. And again, just I was completely in love with it. And yeah, just wanted to see how far I could take it. So that’s really when I started to take it more seriously sort of eight from 18 onwards.
Rob Anderson
So talk a little bit one of the big challenges as you kind of already alluded to in volleyball but particularly beaches around that kind of infrastructure and funding setup. So you know, people who have the ambition to do what you’ve done. It’s it’s almost not I mean, self funded to a large degree, but trying to attract sponsors, trying to attract funding. So what’s the situation like for you at the moment, but what are some of the situations you’ve been in previously, where it’s been entirely self funded? Or sponsorships, etc? How has that kind of evolved for you?
Jess Grimson
Yeah, it’s been a massive journey. And I think it’s ironically, the last two years, playing with my new partner. I’ve had more support and more funding than I’ve ever had in my whole career, which is amazing. I think it’s a great step forward for beach volleyball. And I’m very excited to see where it goes from now, especially with the recent successes from Birmingham. And you know, the boys got a medal and I think people realise that we could play having seen the games. But prior to that, yeah, it was it was really tough. Obviously at University had access to some sort of schemes, talented athlete Support Scheme and we never got money but you had access to S&C and physio when he broke my hand and within four hours and sent a hand specialist and had an x ray and you know, the resources for some things were there. But yeah, when I graduated, I moved to Bournemouth to get a full time train. Just because free access to facilities courts and whatever and the the partner I was playing with at the time lived here so made sense to be as close to her as possible. But yeah, at that point, I was 21 I worked full time for like four years, I think it was full time working full time training, travelling what as and when possible. But the days were just ridiculous, you know, you’re doing sort of 789 hour working days training in the morning training in the evening repeat. So it was a lot but it was what we needed to do to make it financially feasible. So having never had any support at all. We had sponsors like we were not at a lucky with sponsors. We got a lot of free stuff, which you know, as a newbie coming into the sport was amazing. being sponsored by Under Armour sponsored by Oakley and getting just stash was great. But it gets to a point where that does absolutely nothing for you. Like all you need is money for a flight. I don’t need 20 pairs of sunglasses. So yeah, it was it was really tough. But I think that’s where my partner at the time. We really bonded over our mutual drive. And I think you’ve either got that sort of thing in your mind to do what we did. For how long we did it for, with little to no support, I think it was actually is a really big thing for us. Both working full time by training full time, you know, paying for gyms, paying for everything paying for all of our flights can afford a coach. So again, it’s not like, I’m not trying to say poor poor us because it was a choice. I didn’t have to do it. But our kind of drive to want to succeed and see where we can get to really pushed us through those things. But then having seen how the last two years have been in terms of support resources, it’s not that it’s easy, but it’s so much easier. And I really look back and think I don’t know how we did it for so long, if I’m honest, in terms of not having access to those sorts of things, but still doing well. I’d question how well, like we could have got further with some support. But you know, hindsight is a wonderful thing. But yeah, so in the last couple of years had a lot more support, mainly down to Commonwealth Games, when home games. So there was a lot more funding injected into the sport, albeit we had to earn it, it was very much there’s a pot of money play for it. So we still sort of put in the work to make sure it was as got that support. But having that support over the last couple of years, being able to pay a coach, pay a sports psych, get money back for events, and not being constantly out of pocket for it as has been a huge thing for me in the last few years. So yeah, it’s definitely on the app, and I think the games has will be a real boost I think for for the sport. It’d be very exciting to have what could happen in the next couple of years. So it’s nice, it’s nice to see I’m gonna go in the right direction, not necessarily in my career. But hopefully for the next group coming through. They don’t have to do what we did. And I don’t want them to be able to do that. I think there’s not many people that would stick it out. So I think yeah, it’s it’s going the right direction. And hopefully it sort of gets and keeps more people involved in the sport.
Rob Anderson
The whole funding things are really interesting kind of catch 22, isn’t it because outside of your country hosting a games, whether it’s, you know, the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, where maybe you have to put out a team. So you have to, you know, fund someone at least for two years, or three years or four years for an Olympic cycle. It’s this weird catch 22 where you have to be successful before you get funded. Which is the ironic because about that point, you probably don’t need it as much as when you did when you weren’t as successful. But, you know, it’s kind of a catch 22 that you’ve got to prove? Oh, yeah, we’re really good. And we deserve to be funded. But you know, tiger, how do you get good without the funding?
Jess Grimson
Well, exactly. And I think that’s a chicken and egg thing that’s been happening for years. Like I understand the theory, but all the sports that get funded and are successful, it’s because they have funding. So it’s like, how can you fund? How can you expect people to be successful without support? But yeah, they won’t support you until you’re successful. So it’s, it is difficult, and I think testament to the players that are playing at the moment, because yeah, we’ve had a little bit of support this year. And I think there’s been a lot of progression in the last two years in the sport and the depth in the men and the women’s game at the moment is the best I’ve ever seen it. And that’s just a tiny bit of support. So hopefully that gets acknowledged. And they realised that if you keep investing, keep investing, there’ll be more success. But I think, you know, hats off to everyone at the moment in terms of the success and the medals and the stuff like that that’s been in the last few years across the top three or four teams in both genders, I think, hopefully, kind of gives a good case to seeing a bit more support in the upcoming years.
Rob Anderson
You mentioned already, you know, obviously had quite significant hand injury took us through some of the other challenges you had injury wise obviously funding itself is a huge challenge. On top of that your body doesn’t always play along when you need it to. So what are some of the battles you’ve had injury wise?
Jess Grimson
Oh, gosh, I don’t think this podcast is long enough for that. I’ve had pretty much everything you can imagine I just had to except in the past or five years, I’m not built very well. But since the age of 12. I don’t remember a time where I’ve not had something or been injured. But I’m talking through football like, like lots of ankle sprains, chipped ankle bones. Moving through just starting volleyball, I dislodged a rib, I cracked my hip bone. I had shoulder surgery at 21. And since then, like several broken fingers, dislocated fingers, lots of back injuries, the start of this year, actually, which was a big one, which no one really knows about. Because we didn’t want to make it thing but I told my app. So back in December, I was travelling to and from Spain. To train with Daisy and Marco to face our county. So I’ve sort of going three or four days a week, working three or four days a week, kind of repeat every week. And it was pretty windy session, and I hit a ball, just like hyperextended hit a ball in the wind. And I was like, Oh, God, that burger and stabbed in the womb is there any way to describe it. And as I wasn’t nice and tried to carry on, I was a bit uncomfortable. So I sort of just adapted what I was doing, but for a few weeks, like laughing, coughing, sneezing, weighing everything turning over in bed was just really painful. And I wasn’t quite sure what it was. So I had a bit of time off over Christmas that those sorts of sensations went so pretty happy, got back to training, hit a ball again, first step first one back and same feeling. So just again, adapted what I did for a little while kept trying to play, and I was thinking, you know, we’ve got our Commonwealth qualification in May. This doesn’t feel right. So I’m used to carrying twins all the time. So this was different. So I managed to get a scan with a local consultant. And he was like, you’ve got a three centimetre hole going through 50% of your app, basically, which is equivalent to like normal tears. It’s a great too, so it’s not great. And where it is not great. You need sort of 10 to 12 weeks complete rest. And I was like, yeah, that’s like, that’s not going to happen. Like we’ve got our qualification in May, there’s no way. So my compromise was three weeks. I was still in the gym, but I just I knew what movements to avoid, I wanted to make sure the rest of me was staying in the shape it needed to. And then in March, we got like the Saturday, we got a message to say you’ve got into a tournament in Mexico, which starts Tuesday. And we were like, we can’t go because I already pulled out with one because of my of anyway. But this particular event is a higher level event where even just showing up the points that you get is huge. And prior to that, being held back by the Federation, in terms of playing tournaments, I’d lost all my points and we couldn’t get into anything. So even for this Mexico tournament, we were like, I don’t know 50 on the reserve, so we forgot about it. There’s no way we’re gonna get in like maybe if your top five and reserve you’re gonna get in, but 50 There’s no chance. I don’t know what happened. But we got in and we sort of spoke about it. We thought, we can’t not go. So literally that day spoke to my boss booked flights. And by Monday, we were on a flight to Mexico. And I was like, right, I take myself up. I told myself, this is the things I need to not do. And the little boy was quite an unpredictable sport in terms of positions you get in so I was just doing my best and I didn’t feel anything. So I thought maybe I’m okay. And then I got back. The consultant changed my appointments a week after so by this point, I had five weeks. I went to see him for the scan. I think it was like April, maybe this point. And he was like you get making? Okay, yeah. And I saw Jess, what have you done? You shouldn’t have gone to Mexico and India. And he pulled up my other scanner. He was like, What have you been doing? And I was like, Oh God, and from a recovery point of view is not really much I could have done but I started going to cryo therapy. So I was going to cryotherapy six times a week. And at work. We’ve got a low level laser, which I was using every day. And he was like, I can’t find it. And I was like would mean he can’t find it. And he was like, I can’t even see where the tear was. Normally obviously there’s not a radiographer, but different gradients and colours of tissue that they see. And he was looking for like black bits. And he’s like, I can’t even find it. So he was like, I don’t know what you’ve done because he was recommending me to have PRP injections to like speed up the process and a combination of the layers and the cryo in what order what ratio each of them took in terms of helping but I healed about three to four weeks faster, and not one minute scar tissue. So Touchwood I’ve not had one issue since and obviously I mean you will know yourself like reoccurrence of that sort of injuries is pretty high. So I’ve been like terrified of hitting any ball behind my head for the past four months. But got back to training straightaway. painfree did a lot of strengthening like rehab. And I’ve not had an issue since but when I found out about it, I was like crying. I was like right, this is it. Commonwealth is over. I can’t play like so it was a big thing. We sort of tried to keep quiet. And when I was playing we trained in Tenerife. I was all strapped up I was training with T shirts and didn’t want to see the taping and we didn’t want people we were playing against in May to know that that was an issue because it’s so obviously targeted me. But yeah, so that was a big one this year. It was really like I thought the Commonwealth dream is over basically but I managed to sort of pull for it. But yeah, there’s been seven there’s been so many things for less but I think I’m a sports therapist in my job and I’m very lucky with colleagues I haven’t the equipment we have. So I managed to sort of keep everything at bay. But I think injuries and that sort of thing is huge for a lot of people maybe not have that having access to the right resources. I’m very lucky that I have that but and for me specifically in my career, yeah, that’s been a huge battle sort of my whole career to be honest.
Rob Anderson
Yeah, it’s, it’s interesting when people obviously see you know, see people step outside of the Commonwealth Games or whatever the event is, you know, we see the highlight reel, we don’t always see the background struggle. And especially as you’re saying, you know, if there is something that happens that close that proximity to the games, you don’t necessarily want to publicise it, because you don’t want to give an advantage away to people say, right, we’re going to, you know, we know where that weak spot is, I’m going to target that so people don’t see that we step onto the sand and they you know, they just see the highlight reel and then see the difficulties of the funding we’re travelling with training with injuries so I think it’s important to you know, if when when you can afterwards in this sort of is to highlight to people you know, it’s not all sunshine and roses there’s a lot of difficulties you know, it’s only really the closest friends and family that know about these things necessarily.
Jess Grimson
Yeah ,absolutely. Yeah. And I think you see like it’s anything even like social media in days everyone just sees what you want them to see, so yeah, people see the glamorous side of it