On Jan. 1, 2018, Jennifer Trombley trudged through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard.

Wind whipped across her face as snow swirled through the air. For six hours, she struggled to keep moving forward. But there was only one thought on her mind: finish the game.

An avid disc golf player and founder of her own league, Trombley was playing in a tournament to kick off the new year when that blizzard struck.

“It’s not always fun playing that type of weather, but it makes you stronger as a player. To be so determined and try to keep your mind focused, it can test your limit at times,” said Trombley, an orthotic assistant in Michigan Medicine’s orthotics and prosthetics department.

Trombley’s brothers introduced her to disc golf in 2003 when she was a high school student, and she immediately took to the sport. Similar to traditional golf, disc golf involves throwing flying discs into baskets.

She said she enjoyed being out in nature and having a free way to spend time with friends.

But after playing disc golf for 10 years, Trombley started to grow frustrated.

“I wasn’t getting any better at the sport. I just thought I was bad. I was embarrassed to be throwing not as far (as the other players) all the time, but I was playing with men. And then I met some women who played and realized, ‘Oh, no, I’m pretty good,’” she said.

Even on a professional level, Trombley said, the strength difference between men and women is visible in how far they can throw a disc. After playing with other women, her confidence grew as she learned the methods behind controlling a disc and the physics of throwing at different angles.

Five years ago, Trombley decided to create her own league. She started advertising her group through word-of-mouth, and eventually printed business cards promoting the weekly practices.

“It’s just a nice environment for women to not be embarrassed, and to feel comfortable learning to play casually or to compete against each other,” she said. “It’s gained a lot of traction over the years, and my league is now getting around 20 to 30 women a week.”

During the practices, female players — ranging from children to retirees — pair together to play through nine holes. While many are experienced disc golfers, Trombley said her league loves working with beginners and teaching them the basics. At the end of each league night, Trombley hands out prizes for a variety of accomplishments, including the longest throw of the night and the closest throw to the basket.

“In my league we don’t really compete with each other,” she said. “It’s kind of just getting comfortable throwing and learning and being social with other women. It’s more about community.”

Trombley named her league the Grit & Grace Ladies DGC. She said the name highlights the strength and resilience needed in disc golf as well as the elegance and technique of the sport.

One of Trombley’s prized possessions is a custom disc her friend made with the league’s logo emblazoned across the front.

“In the sport, you know, we’re outside, we’re hiking in mud or playing through rain sometimes and so it does take some grit to like it. And it also takes finesse to know how to control the disc,” she said.

Last year, the Grit & Grace Ladies hosted its first sanctioned tournament in Howell, with more than 60 women from across Michigan attending. Encouraged by the event’s success, Trombley is running another tournament with her league this July at the Rolling Hills County Park in Ypsilanti.

As a frequent player in tournaments, Trombley is a member of the Professional Disc Golf Association. Each time she competes, she receives a rating, and she said she looks forward to seeing how she’s progressed over time.

“It’s just like an instrument. The more time and practice you put into it, the more you’re going to get out of it,” she said.

Trombley said she would encourage anyone interested to find a league and attend a practice to learn the ropes. Even during the winter there are indoor practice leagues that help disc golfers train and improve their technique during off months.

With this year’s season quickly approaching, Trombley said she is excited to get back on the field. Her league meets from April to October, and practice sessions rotate among parks in the Ann Arbor area.

If a Grit & Grace Ladies’ practice is canceled because of weather, the women still get together to go bowling, eat at a restaurant or grab a drink for a social hour.

“It’s really about connecting with women from all different backgrounds,” Trombley said. “What I love most about the league is seeing my friends make gains and celebrating our small victories together.”

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