Community and creativity fuel Swedish Parkour King and Queen’s bid for The World Games glory
Community and creativity fuel Swedish Parkour King and Queen’s bid for The World Games glory. For Elis Torhall (Sweden) and Miranda Tibbling (Sweden), Parkour’s culture has driven them to the top of the sport and crowned them the sport’s first The World Games 2022 champions.
Although Elis Torhall and Miranda Tibbling were born and raised in different parts of Sweden, their paths crossed when they discovered Parkour.
Parkour will make its global games debut in Birmingham, Alabama, where these two young men, both of whom are now 18 years old, will be the athletes to beat. The traceurs, on the other hand, are confident that they know why this is the case.
Parkour has always been Torhall’s favorite sport, he said. “I’ve tried a lot of sports, but Parkour has always been my favorite.” “Everything about the sport is fantastic,” says the athlete. “I really enjoy the camaraderie.”
Tiff Tibbling
Tiff Tibbling, who like her compatriot won gold in the Speed discipline at the World Cups in Montpellier (FRA) in 2022 and Sofia (BUL) in 2021, is well-versed in what Torhall means.
For Tibbling, who also won a silver medal in Freestyle at the World Cup in Montpellier, “the community is incredibly crucial, especially at the beginning” (FRA).
“There were four Parkour enthusiasts in my neighborhood, so I started practicing with them in my school gym.” Suddenly, five people were training and having fun in our small town.
The sense of belonging is palpable. It unites everyone and ensures that you can rely on one another no matter what happens. If you’re in Italy, for example, you can just message someone on Instagram and ask if they’d be willing to house you while you train there.
Tibbling and Torhall’s ambition to reach the top has been fueled by this enormous boost. It’s this aspect of the sport, says Tibbling, that makes spending hours pushing yourself to the edge of your physical and mental limits not only conceivable but also appealing.
That “no one can tell you it’s wrong, because you can do whatever you choose” is what Tibbling remarked with a smirk.
“Everything is right, it’s so free” in Parkour.
Both Swedes have been able to advance quickly because of these qualities. The combination of planning a run and then letting yourself “go on autopilot” is what Torhall enjoys most about Freestyle. While Tibbling, despite only starting up the task in 2021, has found herself winning the women’s Speed division.
Because “everything happens so fast, you can’t even think, you simply run for your life,” she chuckled. “Adrenaline rushes through your body. The rush you get when running is incredible; you don’t stop to consider if you’re going to jump or tumble; you just keep moving forward.”
Both of them have been living in a time warp lately. Despite the fact that they are still in their teens, the two athletes are aware that their competitors at the 2022 World Games will be keenly watching them. Tibbling and Torhall, on the other hand, will keep their gaze firmly fixed indoors.
Torhall
My head is my primary adversary, said Torhall. You can’t always be in the appropriate frame of mind. There are moments when you don’t want to think, and that might be challenging. In a cheerful attitude, “I can accomplish anything.”
One of Sweden’s best would not only indicate that their efforts are worthwhile, but it would also accomplish something far more significant.
According to Tibbling, “Parkour is becoming more popular in Sweden, but the World Games may inspire more people to take up the sport, especially girls, who will realize that Parkour is for everyone.” I think a medal would be huge assistance in the long run.