As infants, we crawl, then we move on to walking and soon enough we’re running. When we reach certain ages, we get asked if there is any sport we want to join; baseball, volleyball, and basketball are some of the common choices. Two students at Bowie have chosen the wild sport of parkour.

Parkour is a training discipline that developed from military obstacle course training. Practitioners focus on discipline, efficiency, and challenging themselves for growth.

“Parkour is the art of movement,” freshman Joseph Killeen said.

Parkour takes nothing more than fitness and your willingness to take risks. Freshmen Seth Leifheit and Joseph Killeen, are amongst the few people who take part in this sport and they are proud Bowie students.

“I’ve only been taking lessons for a few months,” said Killeen. “I’ve been practicing the art of parkour since I was young by doing things like climbing trees.”

Through church and a youth group, Leifheit and Killeen were able to form a friendship with the owner of the Parkour facilities in the Austin area, Matthew Willis.

“They are quick studies and I put them in my advanced parkour class,” Willis said. “I have worked with them directly as well as my coaches to give them the best learning experience  at a safe rate, but also learning some very impressive skills.”

More often than not, individuals who participate in parkour began with something else. It takes some previous skill and agility in order to excel at this sport.

“I also love biking and longboarding with my friends,” Leifheit said.

Killeen and Leifheit have many other activities they like to take part in. From music to athletics, they are both very well rounded students.

“This year I’m on the track team and I did cross country in the fall,” Killeen said.

Not only are they athletic, but Leifheit and Killeen are well involved with their religious community and also have a respectable reputation. They are seen as kind leaders by anyone they come across.

“They are very ambitious and kind gentleman, I respect them so much for their ability to stay strong and honorable,” said Willis.  “They are the exact type of friend that I would want in high school, they keep friends from making mistakes, are trustworthy and have a fun sense of humor.”

These two agile students and athletes are lucky enough to have come in contact with someone so closely related with the parkour facilities in Austin. The bond they have with Willis and with each other helps motivate them to become better.

“As a part of becoming good friends with Seth and Joey they have taken a strong interest in Parkour,” said Willis.

Parkour doesn’t necessarily have to be an organized sport. Truly, it can be practiced anywhere but it is safest to do it with trained people in a gym.

“I practice at BAM Academy, I go there and they teach me everything I need to know,” Leifheit said.

Leifheit and Killeen have gotten the unique opportunity to obtain licences to BAM Academy which comes with a full membership.

“Once I jumped off a 20-foot wall and tried to do a front flip and land it,” Leifheit said. “But I ended up crashing and almost twisting my ankle.”

Parkour is often dangerous. When you go out and do it freely, without the proper equipment is when the risk factor comes in the most.

“My parents are okay with me doing parkour, they just don’t like it when I do things outside of the gym,” Killeen said.

Every move contains different amounts of intricacy perfected only with a lot of practice. Being able to have coaches and access to a gym is a huge privilege that Leifheit and Killeen have the opportunity to experience.

“My favorite move is called the full where you do an entire 360 degree flip but you twist at the same time,” said Leifheit.

Part of practicing parkour is acknowledging the risk that comes with it and being cautious enough to not get hurt. However, the sport itself involves a lot of complex movement which is enjoyable with training.

“They have an amazing ability to keep each other accountable and on the straight and narrow path,” said Willis

These athletes have a lot of practice ahead of them but see improvement each and every time they show up at the gym to practice. Killeen and Leifheit are dedicated  to practicing in order to become the best that they can be. Being well rounded in the art of parkour which has created a part of their persona.