PKV Community Spotlight: Regina Carns
Community Spotlight highlights someone who is very involved in the PKV community.
Regina’s got drip*. Donning a rainbow cephalopod jacket, a neon plaid flannel, and an angler fish t-shirt, Regina is an ice** researcher turned data scientist for a food waste reduction startup. Regina started parkour in 2021 with PKV’s Women and Nonbinary class and branched out to taking other classes, volunteering with PKV, and serving on the board. Recently, she is excited about introducing her partner, family, and friends to parkour.
How did you start parkour?
During the pandemic, I noticed that I was becoming more sedentary. I hate going to the gym because it’s boring so I was looking for something more fun. I thought about what skills would I need to be a superhero… I would like to scale buildings, jump across gaps, and that sort of thing, so I typed “parkour” into the search engine, and found PKV.
What was the biggest barrier to you getting started?
Not knowing that there are parkour classes available held me back for a long time. I thought you would have to learn it on your own from YouTube or something, and I was afraid of getting hurt. I was also concerned that it would be too difficult or I was not in shape enough or it would be too fast paced, but it turned out pretty easy to get into as a complete beginner. The Women’s and Nonbinary class helped things feel less intimidating.
What does your parkour practice look like when you’re not taking a class?
I find places in my neighborhood to practice rail balance, or if I see an appealing thing to climb up, I climb it. Parkour can sometimes get you into some interesting places. One time I gave in to the impulse to climb an interesting wall and accidentally ended up stuck in somebody's private courtyard. They had to escort me out through their kitchen! Lesson learned: scope out your escape route before you start exploring an unknown spot.
Did what you think about parkour change after practicing it?
I would say the unexpected thing about parkour, and I would like more people to know about this, is how much range there is. It’s not all just death defying stunts, but also figuring out how to get over a 3ft wall is parkour. It’s been easier than I expected to adapt progressions to my level of ability and make things safe. I had not realized how much of it was learning how to bail and fall safely, and now I think that’s one of the most important skills. There’s a big range of things, and you can stick to your comfort zone and still do some really cool stuff.
* drip is slang for fashion
** ice is slang for diamonds and jewelry. Ice gives you drip because when it melts, it drips.
About the Author
Sheep Zhang started training parkour in 2016, and the practice and the community have been a major part of her life ever since. Sheep sees parkour as a powerful tool for building community and building connection to the physical environment, as well as a versatile and nuanced medium for self-expression and self-discovery.