Freerunner takes a leap of faith across city’s buildings
MEET freerunner Adam Marr – who has turned Manchester into his own personal video game.
The daredevil athlete has scaled cranes and buildings, and leaps around the city centre like a real-life superhero.
But despite his antics, the 23-yearold – who lives with his family in Salford, doesn’t drink and is a vegan – describes himself as ‘sensible.’
The former trampoline centre worker got into the extreme sport when he was just 16 and is now one of Manchester’s top freerunners.
As well as spending his weekends vaulting over benches, post boxes and other street furniture in Manchester city centre, he has also taken his life in his hands with a series of even more extreme stunts – including scaling a 300ft crane in Salford, providing a breathtaking view of the city.
Dodging security fences and gates, Adam says he knows he is risking his life but says he doesn’t do it lightly.
He said: “A part of this is being able to push yourself, and that includes heights.
“I never get vertigo. You just have to put yourself in the right frame of mind when you are up high.
“I mean, you are not going to suddenly fall, nothing changes other than your perspective. I’ve just trained myself not to worry about heights.”
The tallest building he’s climbed in Manchester was the 15-storey office block on Charlotte Street.
Spending most of his week working out, or planning ever-more complex stunts, Adam has showcased his amazing abilities in a series of films and hopes that he may be able to take his sport even higher – as freerunning is in the frame to be named as an Olympic sport in the future.
He said: “It’s not an adrenaline sport, it is actually very calculated.
“If I get scared or have adrenalin I have to stop training because I would lose focus.”
Adam has lofty ambitions for what he can do with his passion and added: “If it ever became an Olympic sport, I would want to be involved.”