Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Parkour star Robbie’s recreation of iconic Trainspotting chase scene becomes a massive hit on the web Lust for Life
A young parkour enthusiast f rom Coatbridge with a lust for life has been left amazed after his recent video went viral online.
Robbie Griffith, 16, last week posted his own freerunning version of the famous Trainspotting intro which has chalked up millions of views on Facebook. The or i g i n a l scene shows main character Renton – actor Ewan McGregor – being frantically chased by security guards through the streets of Robbie gallops through the Grassmarket Edinburgh. Of course, the film centres around heroin addict Renton and the way he and his pals choose to live their lives.
The message behind Robbie’s video is similar as he shows the way he ‘chooses life’ but it comes with a much more positive message in an attempt to try and build the reputation of his passion – parkour.
The thrill-seeking teen can be seen sprinting, leaping and somersaulting from pillar to post through the capital’s city centre in an astonishing display of skill and athleticism. St Ambrose pupil Robbie told the Advertiser: “The idea came to me and I went through to Edinburgh the next day to do it.
“I didn’t have a clue it’d get that many views, it just blew up overnight.
“After 48 hours it had about half a million views then news companies started to get in touch and the BBC’s story got more than two million.
“A lot of people are asking me about it now, especially my teachers.
“It’s amazing and makes me really happy as the whole reason I did this was to make people more aware of what parkour actually is.”
Robbie, who unsurprisingly hopes to excel in a career as a stuntman, explained: “A lot of people don’t know what it involves and I wanted to show it in a good light.
“There is so much more to it than meets the eye and I’m not just chucking myself around the street.
“I train every day and every move I make is a calculated risk. I never do anything outwith my capabilities.
“For example, I check distances, make sure walls are stable and have to alter my plans depending on the weather.
“If it rains it’ll be slippier so I won’t be able to do certain jumps or runs.
“Everything I do I’ve practised at a structured facility with crash mats and other equipment.” The video, which was posted on Robbie’s Facebook page, has already generated more than 800,000 views. But when several national news outlets shared the video, it boosted the hits to over the three million mark. Clip director Johnstone Macpherson- Stewart is a fellow parkour enthusiast who trains with Robbie and revealed just how talented the viral sensation is. He said: “Robbie and I have been training partners for the best part of two years now and we both know each others abilities by heart. “Nothing in the film was too demanding for Robbie and it didn’t cross my mind that anything would go wrong. He is one of the most gifted athletes I have had the pleasure to train and film with.”