Free running event to help injured Ammanford enthusiast (From South Wales Guardian)

Free running event to help injured Ammanford enthusiast

9:00am Friday 17th August 2012 in News

ONE of the few qualified Welsh instructors in parkour – or free running – is planning to hold a demonstration of the sport in the middle of Ammanford.

Bradley Richardson, 21, of Llandyfan, intends the event to be a fundraiser for parkour enthusiast Oliver Jones, of Tirydail, who is currently in hospital after suffering a spinal injury.

“Parkour, which is sometimes called urban gymnastics, does carry an element of risk – as do all sports,”

Bradley told the Guardian.

“But if kids are taught the right awareness that risk can be drastically reduced – as a certified coach that is my role.

“The purpose of this demonstration is twofold – we want to raise money for Oliver and hopefully give him a bit of a boost as well as raising the profile of parkour.”

Bradley, who teaches a parkour group at Llandybie Memorial Hall, hopes to be able to hold the event alongside free open workshops at the lower end of Quay Street in the coming weeks.

“Parkour helped give me focus and took me away from the drugs and alcohol problems I was having,” he said.

“It’s an activity that requires proper training – it’s not just a load of kids jumping around in a street.

“As one of only a handful of qualified coaches in Wales I feel it’s my duty to bring it to a wider audience.”