“Being in the Games would be a big step for parkour”
MADRID, 22 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish Stefy Navarro, runner-up in the world of parkour in the speed modality, affirmed that people “have to respect” her sport, because “in the end it is art” and they are not “as crazy as they think”, at the same time that she assured that “going to some Games” will be a “big step2 for his discipline.
“Parkour is everything to me, it has made me who I am, it has given me this personality, it has made me stronger, especially psychologically. I am not afraid of life, of problems, it has made me find solutions to things and be where I am”, Navarro defined in an interview with Europa Press.
Stefy Navarro was proclaimed last weekend runner-up in the world of speed parkour, in the first World Championship, which was held in Tokyo (Japan). And the Spanish always saw herself “as if to win or be ‘top3′”. However, she suffered an unforeseen event and twisted her ankle in a warm-up. “I thought all the work would go down the drain,” she recalled.
“But the pain wasn’t that serious, and in the end I had my head, I worked and did the whole track. I concentrated a lot, I do it when there’s a lot of stress, and when I saw the time I knew I was ‘top3’. I’m happy, it made me opened many doors and the work of many months has paid off,” he said.
Navarro, 24 years old and second in the world speed ranking, completed the circuit in the Japanese capital in a time of 35.02, and was only surpassed by the Swedish Tibbling, to win her first medal.
The Spaniard started in the discipline of parkour “six years ago”, when she lived in Albacete. “The boyfriend of a friend of mine did parkour and we went to see them. At first it didn’t catch my attention, I even thought they were a little crazy,” she confessed. But one day she “couldn’t sleep” and she went out for a run early, to the city’s Cathedral, where she tried “some moves”. “I was surprised that quite a few things came out,” she admitted.
Although he already has his first world medal in his private showcase, Navarro is not professionally dedicated to parkour, although he hopes to do so in 2023. “Now I work in a ‘crossfit’ gym, which I really like. I hope I will be able to continue fighting for my dream,” he wished.
“This year I’ve taken it more seriously. Since May, I’ve been doing two or three hours three times a week and I also train in acrobatics. I have a very intense week, with the first months of load and strength, the hardest and then It’s more cardio, power, fluidity. I really like to suffer for the sport, I adore it and I love it, it doesn’t matter if I vomit or cry, it gives me too much satisfaction, “he explained about his training routine.
Navarro knows that he is standing out at a key moment for his sport, since the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced that it would assess the incorporation of parkour in the Games. In Paris it has not been possible, although they dream of Los Angeles 2028, with the experience of skateboarding and breakdance as good urban examples.
“All athletes want to go to the Games. It’s a big step for parkour, in the end people will see it for what it is, a sport, and it will open doors for subsidies, training in a High Performance Center (CAR). In the end, it will favor a kid to see that he can dedicate himself to parkour and it’s not just jumping in the street or uploading a ‘tiktok'”, he applauded.
Navarro has “a lot of faith” in the potential of the future Spanish team and is confident that “Spain will do well in European and international competitions.” “The Spanish style is very fast and fluid, and that gives us an advantage in speed competitions. Obviously, there is very high competition in style, we need more places to train that modality,” he said.
Thus, the athlete showed her “respect” towards those people who “have not seen the development of parkour” and are not “very interested” in the discipline, taking into account the prejudices that may arise in the face of a sport with an urban nature. “I always say that we must respect what we do, in the end it is art, we are not really as crazy as they think. There is fear and a responsibility that is to respect your body and your limits,” she said.
Finally, the world runner-up addressed gender equality in parkour, for which they continue “fighting”, since there are competitions in which the prizes “are not equal”. “If they are not, it is not fair. We fight so that the girls are interested in this, and not only in dance, gymnastics …”, settled the athlete.