What Type of Girl Practices Parkour?

Women are already less likely to start practicing parkour than are men, simply because it is a male-dominated discipline. However, some are further discouraged when they think they don't fit the profile of a parkour girl. They think if they don't have the right qualities, they will not be able to train and progress like they should.

The ideal thing to say is that anyone can practice parkour which, obviously, they can. The question is: do all kinds of women practice parkour, or do they tend to fall into specific categories? This is an important question to examine, so I have compiled this article based on my life experiences with traceuses in Brazil and the USA as well as online traceuse communities and numerous videos. During my research and pondering, I came to some surprising conclusions.

Do parkour girls tend to follow certain stereotypes? Let's find out.

(Version Française)

Common Profiles of Parkour Girls 

1. The Athletic Girl

It makes sense that the women who are most drawn to a super-physical discipline like parkour are already athletic. At least, this seems like a reasonable assumption. In reality, I would say at least 1/2 of the women I've met who start practicing parkour have very little athletic experience. Some begin their training without the strength to even do a modified push-up. Some are overweight, and many have very little stamina. My own athletic level when I first started training was 0.00000, but that didn't stop me. It shouldn't stop you, either. After some time of dedicated parkour training, you will become an athletic girl whether you like it or not.

2. The Tomboy

Parkour is a male-dominated discipline, which means that it is "masculine" by nature, which means that women who consider themselves "girly" would never train parkour. This seems to be the perception of many people. In reality, you don't need to be a tomboy to train parkour. Whether you choose to focus more on power or on fluid movements, the result is always beautiful. A lot of women discover this when they begin training, which is why we see a wide spectrum of parkour girls who range from complete tomboys to absolute girly girls. Even if they choose to wear tennis shoes and baggy sweats during training, a lot of these women love to wear heels and dresses in their regular lives.

3. The Parkour Girlfriend

I have met a number of traceuses who began training alone, with guy friends, or with girl friends. However, I do believe that a woman who has a boyfriend/fiancé/husband who practices parkour is more likely to start training herself, and there are a few reasons for this. 

1. She may not know what parkour is, and having someone close to her who trains is the perfect introduction. 
2.  It is less intimidating to begin the learning process with her boyfriend than with guys she doesn't know, or even with guy friends. 
3. Her significant other is more likely to invite her to train than a regular guy friend (who might fear that his gesture will be mistaken for flirting.)

The first one applied to me, and the rest are just my deductions. Feel free to comment if you have any other insights on this one, or if you think I am wrong.

Who Are Parkour Girls?

In reality, parkour girls do possess a few special qualities. They are barrier-breakers. They are strength-seekers. They are motivated individuals who don't care that they are a minority in a male-dominated discipline. In other words, they can be anyone. If you want to start practicing parkour and are physically capable, what's stopping you? Join the colorful mosaic of the parkour girl community, and discover that you are capable of things you never imagined.