Two weekends ago I was watching a Giant’s football game at a friends house, when in walked a fairly jacked young man wearing those funky barefoot running shoes. As a young lady who tries to maintain a fairly fit lifestyle, I was curious. What did this guy did to maintain such great physical condition?
Turns out he founded Pitt’s Parkour Club. Not to shabby.
This week’s Campus Cutie is Gabe Sreisfeld. Gabe is a senior Rehab Science Major with a Certificate in Pathokinesiology.
Gabe and Aidan Gallagher founded Panther Parkour.
Never heard of Parkour? Check out this video of Gabe doing some “basic” moves.
Gabe said, “I didn’t come to Pitt looking to start a Parkour club or start a club at all. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time. And I definitely didn’t expect to be teaching as much. I was kind of thrown into the position. But really, for anyone who wants to start a club its not a hard thing to do and it really puts you in that leadership position.”
What sparked your interest in Parkour?
A friend of mine and I were looking for new things to do in high school. We were looking things up online and saw some Parkour videos. Since we were into physically active things we started fooling around at first and then got seriously into it.
Are there Parkour competitions?
Parkor is not about competitions. It’s about improving your own movement. Everyone’s built differently and everyone has different level of physical strength. It’s about preparing yourself for emergency situations. So it doesn’t matter the preparedness of the guy next to you. It’s about improving your personal level.
What can you tell us about Panther Parkour?
The Club was officially started in spring 2010. And after our first activities fair in the fall we had a huge response, mostly from incoming freshman.
It’s been getting more and more structured as the years go one. When Aidan and I ran it was more go by the flow. When we first started it was about bringing kids together who new what they where doing. But after our first activities fair we had all these kids wanting to learn. So we had to start teaching.
Today I’m not longer an officer. But I run the Wednesday night conditioning practice. And Sundays are our main meetings. Monday’s are for beginners.
How big is your active membership today?
We have 212 members on the FB page. But not all of them come out.
Does the club have a good mix of guys and girl?
It’s primarily guys. It is a little hard for girls, physically wise, but there are several girls who hold their own. And to be honest there are all types of kids – everyone is accepted.
Parkour is about exceeding your personal level. It’s a very accepting community. Ninety percent of the members have never heard about it before. Every once in a while you get a few kids who did it in high school. Our experienced members help guide.
Will you continue Parkour after graduation?
I will continue perusing Parkour throughout my life. It’s about longevity and keeping your body prepared. But it will be different training without a club, as I won’t be as focused on teaching others.
Interested in Parkour? Be sure to check out Panther Parkour.
Thanks Gabe!