Unique Magazine August 2014

Free Runners
Waiting for Ash and Dom outside
Starbucks on a Sunny Sunday morning.
Im approached by a back flip in the air
and a perfect landing in front of me. I will
need more than coffee to keep up with
these guys.
Ash 24 and Dom 24 started free running at
the age of 12 whilst at school, after been told
by the school to stop it they didn’t start again
until they were 19 and Dom was shooting
photography for a college project. Following
watching Jump Britain they decided to
practice and take this up as a hobby, but the
hobby turned into lifestyle for them both.
So what’s Free Running? Free Running is the
art of expressing yourself without limitations
of movement. The philosophy behind it is
to express yourself fluidly. It was started
by Sebastien Foucan who used martial
discipline and added acrobatic movements to
it. It has become a few international events
such as the Red Bull Art of Motion and used
in the popular video game Assassin’s Creed.
Now they are teaching in Cheltenham, Stroud
and Bristol with an age range of 8 – 46. ‘Kids
are always jumping and climbing, it’s natural.
But there is more too it’
You will see Ash and Dom between Stroud
Rush skate Park and Rush in Bristol. They
discovered the Bristol Park and later found
it burnt as an act of vandalism, since the
rebuilding and the session’s available
crime as dropped by 60% in the area. ‘The
biggest reward is seeing someone achieve
something new’ the guys speak passionately
about the community and how Free Running
is now a family to them. ‘As its community
based, everyone should get involved’ it’s
always been about getting people involved
and getting the rewards. It’s a chance to
release and learn about yourself. You learn
from yourself and each other. It’s not all
physical it is about friendships.
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