Spotlight: Coach Khay
We caught up with Coach Khay in Squamish to chat a little about what makes him move!
Khay is a Parkour and acrobatics wizard, a freerunning explorer and a dedicated guy to both this sport and the community that goes with it.
Having worked with the San Francisco Broadway and Opera as an acrobat, be prepared to get inspired with his interview now! We’re proud to have such a guy as part of our Crew.
Why (and when) did you first choose your sport?
In 2013 I saw my first acrobatic performance, it inspired me to learn how to move and control my body in a way that gravity played less of a role. I started trying to teach myself how to backflip in the school sandpit. One day I showed my mom and she freaked out and sent me to an acrobatic / parkour class to learn to flip safely and I instantly fell in love.
“One day I showed my mom and she freaked out and sent me to an acrobatic / parkour class to learn to flip safely and I instantly fell in love.”
What is it about the sport that brings you joy?
In parkour and acrobatics there are two big aspects of the sports that I fell in love with: the community and the freedom of movement. The community in parkour and acrobatics/circus-arts is what has really kept me involved in the sport. The people you meet in the community are some of the coolest, most genuine, unique and kind people I have met in my life. Everyone is so eager to share their passion, advice, and knowledge even if they just met you.
The second aspect of my sport I enjoy is the pure freedom you get by mastering your body, learning parkour and acrobatics has helped me in so many different aspects of my life. They force you to learn how to learn, every trick or move you learn is teaching you how to tame your fear, consciously manipulate your body, and figure out your own learning process.
How important is it to you to achieve your sporting goals?
Sport goals are very important in my opinion without them it's too easy to stop progressing. I try to set a new goal per month so that when I come in to train I don't just work on the same tricks I can already do.
Goals keep my excitement and motivation alive, when I stop progressing it can kill my enjoyment and love for the sport but by making sure I'm constantly pushing myself in some way I remember why I originally started the sport.
What are the physical aspects of your sport that you do well in, and what do you want to work on?
I have always been naturally strong and springy but this has been a double edge sword. These strengths have helped me a lot in my sports but because of them, I have not paid any attention to my flexibility. This is one aspect that I'm trying to work on, making sure that I treat my body well has truly changed the way I move. Now that I'm working on taking care of my body and stretching I can move better, progress faster, get less sore, and can train more frequently.
“Sport goals are very important in my opinion without them it’s too easy to stop progressing.
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What are the mental aspects of your sport that you do well, and what do you want to work on?
I think that the biggest mental aspect I do well in is being a fast learner. Over time I have come to really understand my body which has allowed me to learn new moves and tricks quickly. The biggest mental aspect I'm working on is making sure I continually practice the basics. I always want to do the cool new tricks and I can forget to come in and have a practice session that is just focused on making sure my basics are still solid.
What fears did or do you have? And how do you help control those in order to progress?
Fear is a normal part of anything but especially these types of sports. I have found that learning how to bail safely on a trick and practicing or making sure you know what to do if it does go wrong has allowed me to feel confident in trying new things. If I'm working on a new trick I will think of all the things I'm scared of happening and then practice the bails for them to make sure if it does happen I will be safe.
Can you give a piece of advice either that you’ve been given by someone else or that you would give to others when starting out or progressing in their sporting journey?
Focus on the little wins you achieve while you start rather than the big ones if you do that in little to no time you will be just as good as the people you look up to. The more you pay attention to small wins the better you feel, the more fun you have and the more you're going to want to continue training or practicing.