Welcome to episode twelve! I don't usually release a podcast on Friday's. So this is a bonus episode!  I'm having so much fun with these interviews! Thank you so much for your support. I'm really excited for this episode with Ryan Ford because he's changing the perception of "fitness" through Parkour.  Too often we view it as work or something that we have to do, and it shouldn't be that way. I left this interview feeling very inspired, and I know you will too.  Show Ryan some love, leave him a comment below, share the show, and leave a review on iTunes.  And as always I'd love some feedback! What would you ask Ryan?  Who would you like to see on the show next?  I'm looking forward to hearing from you! Cheers~Jason

 

Ryan Ford is an athlete, coach, author, and entrepreneur. He is flabbergasted and grateful to have become a scholar in the art of urban obstacle touching. Ryan’s parkour journey began in 2004 in his hometown of Golden, Colorado. In 2006, Ryan established the first formal parkour classes in the Western Hemisphere while also becoming one of the first professional parkour athletes in North America. He has performed and coached worldwide for various organizations including the New Yorker, TEDx, ESPN, and the U.S. Embassy. In 2009, Ryan earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder while also opening his first parkour gym, APEX Movement in Denver. Since then, APEX Movement has grown to five locations with more on the way. After establishing APEX, Ryan founded ParkourEDU, which is a coaching certification and online platform dedicated to teaching the best parkour methods.

Through his various ventures, Ryan has taught parkour to tens of thousands of people, including coaches, athletes, elite military forces, underprivileged youth, and seniors. Although his specialty is parkour, he regularly cross-trains in weightlifting, bouldering, and acrobatics, and he is a two-time competitor on the show American Ninja Warrior. Additionally, he loves to continue his movement education through certifications and extensive research in areas such as corrective exercise, CrossFit, pole fitness, hand balancing, plyometrics, and barefoot running. In 2016, he published his first book, Parkour Strength Training. One of Ryan’s goals in life is to inspire others to also touch as many different obstacles as possible.

Motivation

At four years old, I was playing soccer. By the time I was in high school, I was playing football and gearing up to be a starting receiver on the varsity team. I lived in Golden. So I would go out to the Red Rocks Amphitheater and run the steps. This was around the time that I discovered Parkour and started watching videos.  Looking around the Amphitheater, I started thinking, I need to try some of these moves, and I just started teaching myself.

Challenges

I had no idea what I was doing. There was nobody else around who was doing Parkour.  I learned a lot about myself through that process of trial and error.  I realized that there are many different ways to move through obstacles, how to problem solve, how to face your fears, and to see something in a different, creative perspective.

Passion

There are so many amazing athletes coming out of Colorado and Apex Movement. We were the 3rd Parkour gym in the world, and that gave us an advantage.  We have great leadership, mindset, and approach things scientifically. You'll find eight year old prodigies training right next to our pro athletes.

Nutrition

I don't adhere to any strict diet, but I do try to avoid refined, processed foods.

 

Final Round!

Morning Routine

Drink a shake and try to get some work done.

Favorite quote or mantra

"Absorb what is useful and reject what is useless.