ISLAND LIFE

By the time parkour enthusiast James Rakich has jumped, he’s evaluated the risks, practised how to do it safely and “crossed the threshold into 100-per-cent focus”.

“Parkour is as much about movement as it is a system of how you approach risk,” the 32-year-old says. “It’s about how we approach a move, how we prepare our body and making sure the ‘I’s are dotted and ‘T’s are crossed. We are confronting our fears and working out how they can be avoided or mitigated.”

Rakich, a web developer, is pictured midair at Franklin Square doing a “saut de chat” (a cat jump). “It was a fairly small drop of about 1m from the bottom of the rail. From the top it’s a 2m-drop,” he says.

He learned parkour – a non-competitive sport that involves extreme jumping, climbing, running and rolling in urban spaces – with an accredited instructor six years ago in Western Australia and has pursued it since moving here four years ago. “It’s essentially a free sport as all you need is a pair of shoes,” he says.

“Anyone can do it, but by the same token it’s about having the right guidance.

“For some people who are starting parkour, they are dreaming about how far they can jump, but for me it’s about health. It’s a natural way of moving.”

Visit parkour.asn.au Subscriber exclusive: see James Rakich in action in our video at themercury.com.au