 Congratulations Asa and RhayneD!
Asa is the author of "Essay #1" which got the most votes, and RhayneD "Essay #2". Both did a great job on their entries. Asa will walk away with an APK Classic Hoodie, and we've decided that RhayneD will get a T-shirt as a runner-up for her efforts! Well Done! First off, I'd like to thank everyone who submitted an entry for this contest, they were all great! Every one of them was well thought out and carefully crafted, and showed a heartfelt appreciation for how Parkour has effected the Traceur's life. the APK team has looked through all the entries, there are two which stand out head and shoulders above the rest. They are inspiring stories that will undoubtedly help some others in the community to take up Parkour and see life-altering effects. Please "read more" to read the two finalist's essays, for now only called "Essay #1" and "Essay #2". Then take the time to vote for whichever one inspires you, moves you, or touches you in some way (not that way Skipper). The winner will receive an APK classic hoodie for their efforts, a small payout compared with the fact that they will surely inspire members of the community, and maybe even "lurkers" to give Parkour a try. When we announce the winner we'll also reveal who wrote these essays, please don't spoil it if you already know. Thanks again to all the contestants.
Essay #1 Advancing always, regardless of circumstance:
When I say that Parkour has changed my life, I'm not mindlessly invoking a cliché. Parkour has affected every facet of my life for the better. Since I began training, I have become a new man, I am stronger, more intelligent, healthier, and happier that I ever was before. My training, and my newfound drive to better myself, has forged me into a more powerful athlete, a more dedicated scholar and a more reliable friend.
Parkour has become my reason to keep in shape. It is my reason to work out, and to keep pushing even after my muscles burn. Knowing that this effort is an investment towards creating a Parkour conducive body is enough of a reward. I eat a more balanced diet, and get more sleep than I used to, all inspired by the desire to craft my body into a smoothly-operating, powerful, responsive vessel.
The quantity and quality of accurate Parkour information available has greatly increased since I began researching, and I have been able to increase my knowledge of Parkour accordingly. Being a practitioner of Parkour (on different levels of understanding) for over a year, I have
learned an extraordinary amount, and I continue to press on daily.
Training Parkour has not only given me new and interesting experience, but affected the way I perceive things. Instead of looking at obstacles as annoyances, or as things to be avoided, I now embrace challenges. Now I see them as spice that has been thrown into the monotony of an otherwise convenient life, and I know that in overcoming obstacles, my arrival on the other side will leave me stronger and more confident as well as give me a better understanding of myself, my obstacles, and the environment that we are part of. Never again will I look at any situation, pleasant or not, the same again.
The goal of a traceur, my goal, is to advance always. I have not only advanced in the tangible aspects of physical prowess and mental capacity, but also in ways that only I can know for sure, and possibly some that even I can not identify. Included in these areas are my walk with God, my relationships with family and friends, and my outlook on life as a whole. However, although I am pleased with the progress I have made this far, I have pledged to myself and to those whom I care about to uphold this parameter, to advance always. Not to advance until I can run 2 miles uphill. Not to advance until I can unscrew the jar of tomato sauce. Not to advance until I get bored, or tired, or uncomfortable, or frustrated, or old. As a traceur, I advance always, regardless of the circumstance. And you?
Afterword
The people I have met so far in my journey have not only influenced me as a traceur, but also as a human. The adventures and experiences that I've shared with them have been made all the sweeter by our shared passion for Parkour. The insight and advice that I've received from other traceurs has proven invaluable, and it would strain my mind to express my thanks in the space allotted.
Essay #2 “How Parkour Changed My Life… PERIOD”
Many of you have felt it. That moment when everything you’ve trained so hard for just clicks. You are running full tilt, nothing but the wind in your face and the rhythmic cadence of each breath to keep you company as you speed silently yet smoothly from one obstacle to the next. It all just happens. Every muscle in your body is doing their part, no thought, just action and reaction. You found and entered the “PK Zone.”
I’ve felt this, been in the “PK Zone” but only briefly, and it is why I continue to train to reach that moment, to master it as well. For that short period, my body worked with and for me instead of against me for once. If you asked me ten years ago if I ever thought it possible to feel this alive again, I would have doubled over in laughter. I had been diagnosed with a disease that made me think I could never see life as ‘happy’ again; that I could never live again. However, the day that I found and started training in Parkour was the day that I learned I could live and in a way that I never thought possible.
When I started reading online about this ‘new thing’ called Parkour, it was as if the proverbial light bulb switched on in my head. It was the first time in a very long time that I wanted to get outside and do the thing I loved… climbing. Moreover, Parkour took that passion to the next level for me. I wanted to learn, read, understand and train all that I could in this sport… art… philosophy… this way of life. It was as if the cloud of existential depression I lived in for so many years had lifted and I could see the world again, from a new perspective. I had a desire.
Parkour opened my eyes to the environment that I had ignored or hid from for so long. I started walking with my head up, my eyes searching for obstacles and lines that I once only found enjoyment in when I was climbing many years before. I started listening to the sounds that I made just walking, how my muscles worked, how my body responded to things, as well as the sounds of the world around me. I could do so much more than I ever thought imaginable. I had a completely different thought process. I even smiled more. It was as if I was a butterfly, finally shedding its cocoon and seeing the world with new eyes.
In Parkour, I have found a savior… a reason to be the person that I am today: the person I once was. I know many will think it insane, or just plain mad, but Parkour gave me a reason to live again. I’ve learned to use Parkour to keep fit mentally and physically. I’ve learned to look at things from the small to the large. I’ve also learned to take things as they come instead of worrying about the little things I can’t change. By this I mean, you can take life like a PK run: you deal with each obstacle as you come to it, then overcome it in the best, most efficient and effective way possible. With all metaphors and analogies aside, Parkour didn’t only change my daily life, it changed my life PERIOD. Please take a moment to vote, and better yet add some coments if these essays have inspired you. Reminder of the rules of the contest: Entries will be chosen by APK and finalists voted on by the community. Please submit all entries to
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. All entries should be in plain text files. Entries become the property of American Parkour. Flips are not Parkour.
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