When looking at planet Earth, many people see it as a marvel of creation, an oyster of perfect proportions. San Diego Parkour, a local freerunning and tricking group, views the world as a giant playground.

“We came together to give kids a place to go once a week to train and help form new friendships with the other athletes,” Mr. Christopher Hollingsworth, a top member of the local and international group, said.

Parkour is a sport and art form that allows for self-expression through running, climbing and flipping over obstacles in an urban environment. The community of parkourists acts as a second home for teens who want to express themselves through a sport with no set guidelines.

“When I am with San Diego Parkour, I feel free,” Zachary Weir, a 16 year old member, said. “I feel like I can be who I want to be and not worry about being judged.”

Likewise, world renowned parkourist Paul Whitecotton said the way to achieve great success in the sport is to be supportive of yourself and your friends during training, and to believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.

“Everyone is typically very supportive of one another and excited or happy to learn something new from training with others,” Whitecotton said. “Serious competition between individuals is uncommon. Everybody is training for their own inherent purposes, making everybody’s practice quite personal.”

Whitecotton has attended San Diego Parkour meetups for several years, becoming attuned with his mind and body. He believes that the full acceptance of oneself has the potential to bring about great opportunities and great successes.

“The sport requires a lot of self confidence and trust that you will make that certain jump or land that hard flip,” Whitecotton says. “If you don’t have that [confidence], then you aren’t truly experiencing the effects of being apart of a sport that has no boundaries or judgements. The only way to gain that confidence is to train and to let the community critique you.”

San Diego Parkour is always looking for new members in the Greater San Diego area. Everyone is welcome to the group’s events. Whether one chooses to participate, or just watches, no one is ever left out of parkour gatherings.

Indeed, the world is an oyster for some, but for parkourists, it is a giant playground in the sky.