Topic: APK Traceuse Mentoring Program!

[Phytolith]

Hi Brandee!  Great to see you on the site, glad you're offering to be a mentor!

[ZMR]

*APK username/forum name: ZMR

*Location: Bay Area, CA

*Requesting a mentor or Volunteering to be a mentor?: Requesting a mentor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via: PM, and then by email

*Practicing parkour since: Not practicing yet!! I've recently discovered there's a name for this and I really want to start.

*Other athletic/physical experience: Very intensive dance training but that was 11 years ago.  I hike and do yoga.  But I've spent the past couple years not exercising intensively because I was pregnant (I have a 2 year old and 2 month old!).  The dance training gave me training in intense mental focus and commitment, which has been so useful (like in labor and delivery!).

*(Mentorees)- specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice:- I'm 31! I'm trusting that precise technique and training slowly and well will keep me from too many dumb injuries.

*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with? Nope!

*Any additional comments: The physical grace of parkour/free running as well as the mental discipline of it is what really attracts me.  I have confidence in my body's abilities but really appreciate the ethos of starting slowly, building up the right way and going at the right pace.  I have to go slowly because I haven't been doing much for years now!!

[Alissa J. Bratz]

Welcome, Asherz, Brandee, and ZMR!

I'm not sure where our mentors are at in terms of "openings." If memory serves, Janine and Brandee should still be able to take people under their wings?

ZMR, I too am an "older" traceuse (34 in March) and former dancer. I think you and I might have a lot in common but to be honest I don't have confidence in my ability to mentor very well. I would be happy to be a sounding board but being proactive about communicating regularly with a mentoree is a weakness of mine. I tend not to manage my time very well. So I would be happy to mentor you but if you're looking for someone who is more involved I might not be the best choice. On the other hand, if you're the type of person who has no problem grabbing someone by the collar and saying, "Hey, I have a question about X. Can you help me?" then it could work.

Totally up to you.

[ZMR]

[snip]
So I would be happy to mentor you but if you're looking for someone who is more involved I might not be the best choice. On the other hand, if you're the type of person who has no problem grabbing someone by the collar and saying, "Hey, I have a question about X. Can you help me?" then it could work.

Totally up to you.

I'd be totally grateful for any mentoring/advice you could offer, and am happy to take it into my own hands and chase you down for answers to my n00b questions.   I'll PM you.

[Ashley McC]

Okay Muse. I'm not in much of a hurry to get a mentor, but still it would be nice. All I will need is a PM if there are openings.

[Janine]

Hey Ashley,

So it looks like my potential "mentee" found a different way to achieving her goals, which is awesome.  It also leaves me plenty of room in my inbox to answer questions and bounce ideas with someone.  Want to team up?

[Ashley McC]

Sure Janine. Just PM me

[Xxxe]

*APK username/forum name: Xxxe

*Location (to the degree you feel comfortable: Wheaton, MD
*Requesting a mentor or Volunteering to be a mentor? Requesting a menor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via (PM, email, phone, other) E-mail or other

*Practicing parkour since: February 14, 2009

*Other athletic/physical experience: Eh, none?

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice:
To be able to complete my conditioning, I'm still working on my APK warm-ups. In addition I really want to start eating nutritionally. I can do squats but have some slight trouble doing pull-ups and push-ups.

*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with? No

*Any additional comments: I appreciate any help. :3

[Jessie K]

*richlybizarre13

*Rochester, NY

*Requesting a mentor

*E-mail and AIM first.

*Practicing parkour since:  On and off since September of last year.  Consistently for two weeks with happydud.  I'm ready.  Now is the time.

*Other athletic/physical experience: 4 years Tae Kwon Do

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice:  I get a lot of help from guys about technique, but it would be nice to have someone understand what it's like to be a woman.  I could use a push every once in a while so I don't get discouraged.

*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree: No

*Any additional comments:  I feel like I'm at the right point in my life to make parkour my focus.  I know that I have the right mindset and that I'm ready to get more involved.  I want to make friends and meet more like-minded women.

[GANinja443556]

*APK username/forum name: GANinja443556

*Location (to the degree you feel comfortable: Carrollton, GA

*Requesting a mentor or Volunteering to be a mentor? requesting a mentor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via: e-mail

*Practicing parkour since: On and off... mostly off for almost four years

*Other athletic/physical experience: most recent was marching band, but many years ago I took gymnastics and Karate

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice: upper body strength, location, and current weight are concerns, goals include losing 45 lbs of fat, overcoming a fear of heights, learning more about myself and eating healthier.


*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with? no

*Any additional comments: I currently live in a fairly rural area so I am restricted to woodland parkour rather than an urban setting. I work from 3pm til about 6.30 or 7pm... sometimes later....

[Alissa J. Bratz]

Hi, ladies!

I have PMs out to some of our mentors, so they should be contacting you soon. Let me know if you have any questions or need any other information.

Good to have you here, welcome to parkour!

[snozzberry22]

*snozzberry22

*Connecticut
*Requesting a mentor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via email

*Practicing parkour since: April 15th, 2009

*Other athletic/physical experience: (be as detailed as you care to): currently way out of shape, did ballet for 9 years, played volleyball, basketball in highschool, did crew for 1 semester in college, completed 1 marathon very slowly

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice:
         to get in better shape, develop training program to improve strength and slim down so I can one day do a vault or something


*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with? (Please simply say "yes" or "no." You can share that person's name with me in a PM) no

*Any additional comments:
 not at this time

[Songdog]

*APK username/forum name     Songdog

*Location (to the degree you feel comfortable: "Mountain Time Zone," or "Southwestern United States," are just as acceptable as "Denver, CO." Go with what you feel most comfortable sharing.)     Upstate NY

*Requesting a mentor or Volunteering to be a mentor?     Requesting a mentor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via:     PM, IM

*Practicing parkour since:     Heh... "practicing parkour"  I've been banging my knees on a picnic table for about a month! 

*Other athletic/physical experience:     I do a lot of horseback riding, falconry, hiking.  Other than that, I'm useless.

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice:     I'm concerned about my total lack of strength and shaky confidence.  My short term goal is to do a pullup by the end of the month! XD

*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with? (Please simply say "yes" or "no." You can share that person's name with me in a PM)     nope

*Any additional comments:
I'm starting from he very bottom here, with no strength and little coordination, so anyone who is willing to help me out will have a hell of a lot of boring stuff to work out first.  Just a warning.

[Sylvia M.]

*APK username/forum name : Sylvia M

*Location: Las Vegas, NV

*Requesting a mentor or Volunteering to be a mentor? : Both

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via: email

*Practicing parkour since: May 2007

*Other athletic/physical experience: Started Kung fu in Nov. 2008 to complement my parkour training & still very much enjoy it. Took some classes in Tumbling recently and am planning to regularly start that in August as well.

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice: I would just like a coach that can offer training advice and ideas 

*(Mentors) Please list any specific expertise, knowledge, or experience that you have (parkour related or otherwise) that may be of benefit/interest to a mentoree: Diet, general physical preparation, gymnastics strength training, basic parkour techniques (vaults, rolls, etc.)

*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with? (Please simply say "yes" or "no." You can share that person's name with me in a PM): Nope lol.

*Any additional comments: I think this is a great idea and opportunity! I hope to learn a lot from my mentor and help others with what I can. Thanks for coming up with it, Muse.

[Rokka]

*APK username/forum name- Rokka

*Location - Atl Georgia
*Requesting a mentor or Volunteering to be a mentor? requesting a mentor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via (PM, email, phone, other) PM or email
*Practicing parkour since:spotty over the year,  not too much experience, I can only do rolls and maybe a vault or two

*Other athletic/physical experience: Tae Kwon Do, Fencing, swimming, hiking if i can, and nice bit of rock climbing

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice: I cannot find women active in parkour in my area, but many of us have had an interest. The area I live in is sometimes hard to find places to practice. Plus I really need to get back into shape and start strengthening the joints I injured a while ago.


*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with?  nope

[Mindyblues]

*APK username/forum name: Mindyblues

*Location (to the degree you feel comfortable: Columbus, GA

*Requesting a mentor or Volunteering to be a mentor? requesting a mentor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via: phone or aim.

*Practicing parkour since: Not yet!

*Other athletic/physical experience: I took taekwondo, but that was 5 years agol. Most recently was a semester of weight training.

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice: I love physically exertation, and pushing my body to the limits. Or at least, I used to. I want to get as fit as possible, as I'm not happy with my current physcial condition.

*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with? no

*Any additional comments: I have dedication. Extreme amounts.

[Flyingfoxx]

*APK username/forum name: Flyingfoxx

*Location: Atlanta, GA

*Requesting a mentor or Volunteering to be a mentor?: Requesting a mentor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via: e-mail

*Practicing parkour since: just starting

*Other athletic/physical experience: Purple belt in Shotokan Karate (I quit about 1-1 1/2 years ago) modern dance II

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice: I want to get fit, boost my self confidence, and have fun!

*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with? No

*Any additional comments: I am really motivated and will definitely stick to it. Also, I think I'm ambitious but still have good judgement. I'm also not tech-savvy and don't know what a PM is .

[Anne]

*APK username/forum name: Anne

*Location: live: El Paso, Texas, college:Nacogdoches, Texas

*Requesting a mentor or Volunteering to be a mentor?: Requesting a mentor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via: email and/or Skype

*Practicing parkour since: Jan 19, 2010

*Other athletic/physical experience: I used to play basketball and softball (officially on teams) and soccer and football (unofficial with just a group), also used to do kung fu and I was in marching band (it doesn't sound like an athletic thing, but trust me, it is)

*(Mentorees)- specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice:- I'm not all that wonderful at acrobatic stuff so I'll definitely need lots of tips in that area and I have a medical thing that makes it really hard for me to lose weight but easy to gain so goals in that area will be low

*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with? nah

*Any additional comments: I'm taking 18 hours, meaning 6 college classes, and a have a job at the planetarium so I don't have oodles of time on my hands, it also rains in Nac A LOT, but I'll make the most of what I have, when I don't have school though I'll have plenty of time.  In Nac I have access to a really nice Rec Center and there are plenty of structures for me to use, in El Paso there's a parkour gym that I'll want to try when I get back.

[GSDragono]

If this isn't getting too crowded, perhaps I can squeeze in...?


*APK username/forum name: GSDragono

*Location: San Luis, California.

*Requesting a: Mentor

*I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via (PM, email, phone, other): MSN or Yahoo, but PM is acceptible if neither is avaliable

*Practicing parkour since: A scant few days

*Other athletic/physical experience: To be honest, almost squat. Does school Weight Training/PE classes count?

*(Mentorees) Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice: My athletic inexperience getting me injured, and not being able to stick with training.

*Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with?: No

*Any additional comments: Perferably a mentor with an IM, or anyone who feels they can really harrass me about my training/nutrition/goals and can keep me in line XD

[Brandee]

With all the mentorees applying, I feel some mentors have gotten lost in the fold. Just to reiterate, I'm happy to be a mentor, but it's also hard for me sometimes to browse through and contact ya'll. Seriously, feel free to shoot me a PM, and I'll try to reach out to you as well!

APK username: Brougham

"Real" Name: Brandee Laird Brougham

Location: Seattle, Washington

Volunteering to be a mentor and looking to be a mentoree.

I would prefer it if my mentor/mentoree would contact me via: PM first, after which e-mail can be exchanged.

Practicing parkour since: April, 2007

Other athletic/physical experience: Bicycling is my transportation, (flavor fixed-gear bmx), Wrestling, Juggling, Capoeria, Comercial Fishing

Please list any specific goals and/or concerns you have about your parkour practice: I find that while I am able to challenge myself, it's often more helpful when someone else challenges me as well. I also need a reliable sounding-board, someone who also trains and can give input on my techniques. I do most of my training alone, but have, since starting parkour, found female input strengthening and inspiring. Even if we aren't geographically near, a parter, whether being mentored by me or mentoring me, will surley assist in my progression as traceuse.

Please list any specific expertise, knowledge, or experience that you have (parkour related or otherwise) that may be of benefit/interest to a mentoree:  I have attended multiple parkour classes over a year and a half, have practice teaching, have knowledge of--and practice--numerous conditioning techniques, have a strong understanding of the basics, and am currently mentoring a local high school student over the next six months in learning/training parkour.

Do you have a specific mentor/mentoree that you would prefer to be paired with?: Nope.

Any additional comments: