Cordelia Storm: Flips, competition, and representation

What does it mean to make movement more accessible and inclusive for everyone, regardless of background or athletic ability?

In this episode Cordelia Storm unpacks her thoughts about accessibility, the effects of a gym on a community, and her motivation for learning flips. She delves into her personal journey, as well as her relationship with competition. Cordelia mentions her documentary project, and finishes by tackling the concepts of gender, age, and representation in the parkour space.

"In that moment I realized that my voice did matter. Now what? From then on, that just became a big passion— to have people love movement, love feeling their bodies, and like playing." ~ Cordelia Storm (30:55)

The conversation centers on the transformative power of parkour, not just as a physical discipline but as a tool for personal growth, inclusivity, and empowerment. Cordelia Storm shares her journey into parkour, starting from a background in theater and video games, and how the practice helped her overcome personal struggles, including bulimia. A large part of the discussion revolves around how parkour promotes accessibility and how Cordelia works to make movement available to a wider audience. She highlights how parkour shifted her relationship with her body, turning exercise from a punitive activity into a joyful and empowering experience.

Another key topic explored is the emotional impact of losing a community gym and how it challenged the parkour community to adapt and rebuild. Cordelia discusses the importance of outdoor classes and fostering micro-communities within them to maintain connection and continuity. The conversation also touches on gender representation in parkour, the evolving nature of competition, and the broader social and cultural implications of making movement inclusive. Cordelia’s passion for flips and overcoming fear is used as a metaphor for confronting personal barriers, showing how physical challenges in parkour mirror deeper internal struggles and victories.

Takeaways

Losing a community gym — The closure of Parkour Visions' physical gym space profoundly affected the local community, forcing adaptations in teaching and community building.

Empowering coaches — Building smaller community hubs within classes strengthens the overall parkour community even in the absence of a central gym.

Flips as self-overcoming — Flips in parkour symbolize confronting personal fears and limitations, reflecting broader themes of self-growth and perseverance.

Movement for healing — Parkour provided Cordelia with a path to body acceptance and a healthier self-image after struggling with bulimia.

Representation in parkour — Having visible female athletes and coaches plays a crucial role in encouraging more women to participate in parkour.

The value of competition — Competitions offer opportunities for growth, but can initially feel intimidating and exclusionary, requiring a shift in mindset.

Accessible movement — Parkour needs to be reimagined beyond elite skills, making even basic movements relatable to those new to the discipline.

Emotional vulnerability — Parkour offers men and women spaces to explore vulnerability and overcome ego, fostering deeper emotional intelligence.

Resources

Parkour Visions — The gym and organization where Cordelia started parkour and continues to teach.

Art of Retreat — A parkour leadership gathering frequently referenced in the conversation.

Movement Creative — A community-focused parkour organization associated with Caitlin Pontrella.

APEX School of Movement — A parkour gym where Cordelia worked as head coach.

Vancouver Film School — The institution where Cordelia studied film before discovering parkour.

(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)

--- Hello👋 I'm Craig Constantine.

In the Movers Mindset podcast, I talk with movement enthusiasts to learn who they are, what they do, and why they do it. I'm interested in the nature and philosophy of movement and in exploring themes like independence, self-direction, and human excellence. My interests color each conversation and provide some structure to Movers Mindset. But since I like to take the scenic route, every conversation ends up going somewhere unique.

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