Standing on top of the 10cm ledge, her brain goes quiet as her body goes numb down to every limb. She’s probably done that move more times than she can count, so she knows her body can take it, but she’s terrified, as if that ledge she was standing on was a skyscraper – but she was not going to be beaten.

Her biggest opponent is not the ledge, nor the move itself, it’s her mind. Which can be her biggest asset or her greatest downfall.

In parkour, fear and ego are as much of a barrier as physical ability. Landing this skill did not just require strength and technique, which she had mastered by now, it also required mental toughness – the ability to own up to herself and acknowledge her fears in order to commit to new moves and trust her body to take her wherever she wanted to go.

Parkour is not just about putting on a show, flipping mid-air and jumping on rooftops, it’s also about setting small goals between her and herself only, and working untiringly to reach them because she doesn’t have to compare herself to anyone else.

Parkour is not about the body’s ability but the mind’s.

Ghina chehwan

At its very core, parkour is a philosophy of self-improvement: it’s a continuous meaningful progress. It’s about celebrating the small victories just as much as the big ones. And there lies the greatest sense of achievement: when she finally reaches those internal goals; when she finally realizes that shining with her own light will not dim other people’s glow.

Parkour is about that instinctive and creative connection with her surrounding and environment. It’s the feel of her entourage under her skin. It’s the ability to disconnect and escape the daily madness and routine to experience life in different ways; ways that make her feel alive. But above anything else, it’s about building the mental toughness to overcome whatever obstacle life throws her way. It’s about her knowing that every setback is just an opportunity to make an even stronger comeback. It’s about strengthening not only her body, but also her mind, to be able to give back to the people around her.

Growing up, we were told to behave, to move in a certain way and look a certain way. We put so many restrictions on ourselves that we forgot how to embrace who we really are; we forgot to live up to our full potential.

We gave in to societal stereotypes and let people dictate our own happiness and live our lives for us.

We go on this journey we call life sitting in the passenger seat instead of being the drivers of our own lives. Parkour played a key role in her life: when she eventually made the flip on that ledge, it felt like for a second the world had stopped. The madness was gone, and the voices telling her she couldn’t were silenced. Only she knew how hard she had worked for this. This move meant she was finally able to break everything that was weighing her down. It meant she was finally able not only to look her fear in the eye, but to also move past it like any other obstacle in her sport.

Parkour is not only about highlighting the incredible things that the human body is capable of, but also the incredible things the human mind is capable of. In many ways, parkour is a reflection of life – and she wants to make sure it looks bright.

SEE YOU AT THE TOP!