Renowned Freerunner and Ninja Warrior does Backflips for Charity

Levi Meeuwenberg, known through parkour and numerous appearances on Ninja Warrior, is using his amazing abilities to give back by doing a backflip for every donation which helps teach disadvantages youth how to overcome obstacles through parkour. End Quote

Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA (1888PressRelease) May 08, 2010 - Freerunner Levi Meeuwenberg is using his amazing abilities to give something back. Levi is known for his numerous appearances on the Japanese game show Ninja Warrior on G4 where he made it further than any other American competitor. His backflip fundraiser will raise money to teach disadvantaged children in Washington how to overcome obstacles through Parkour. As pledges are made, Levi will do a backflip for each donation.

When a donation is made on Levi's website http://SkyNative.com, a message is immediately sent to Levi's phone telling him to do a backflip. No matter where he is or what he's doing at that moment he will do a standing backflip. He will then tweet explaining who made him do the backflip, where they made him do it, and what happened.

Some recent backflip tweets from Levi:
- Ahenricks made me do a backflip in the surpermarket. toothpaste aisle.
- AdamAH64 made me do a backflip at Unos pizza. the server thought it was cool, and has heard of parkour.
- Corndogg made me do a backflip in front of the capitol building. theres an earth day convention going on!
- CarolynG made me do a backflip in the foothills of the rockies in boulder,co. why is it snowing here!?
- Bob king made me do a backflip while constructing a steadycam out of a tripod, masking tape and a hammer.

Thousands of young people in Washington are homeless or from very low-income families who consistently fall through the cracks of society without support from a positive community. Many are missing out on their potential in life by not having anything to develop a passion for or to build goals from. This Parkour Visions project will affect more than 500 at-risk youth from the lowest-income housing in King County, crisis centers in Seattle, and public schools in Tacoma's poorest neighborhoods.

Through parkour, these at-risk youth in Washington will improve their self-esteem and fitness by learning to run, jump, climb, crawl, and vault over obstacles, transforming their everyday world into an epic playscape. The Parkour Visions classes use parkour basics to teach young people how to creatively use the environment around them to improve and challenge themselves. Lessons encourage pride in achievement, respect for training grounds, and responsibility in facing fears.

If you have the creative ability to turn a simple set of railings into a playground, a gym, and a public stage then you have the potential for lifelong physical and mental fitness. This is what parkour can build when taught correctly.

"Unlike with many sports there's no perfect body type, and no one has any better ranking than anyone else. It's not about finding the best people, it's about ﬁnding the best in people."
- Daetan Huck, Parkour Visions Student

"Parkour shows kids that leading an active, healthy lifestyle doesn't have to be hard work, but can actually be a lot of fun! Plus, parkour is much more than just a physical discipline. It also teaches us that no obstacle we face is insurmountable, and it gives us the vision and drive to overcome our obstacles in creative ways."
- Levi Meeuwenberg, Freerunner, Ninja Warrior

About the Parkour Visions Non-Profit Organization
Parkour Visions (formerly the Pacific NW Parkour Association) is a non-profit organization chartered by Northwest traceurs (Parkour practitioners) to further these goals:
• Foster collaboration among Parkour communities
• Educate new traceurs and the general public about Parkour
• Build confidence through safe and effective Parkour training
• Encourage overall fitness and healthy living in our communities

The Parkour Visions supports community projects that contribute to a healthier world. This includes coordinating and participating in cleanup and building/rebuilding efforts in our public places, particularly those where we enjoy practicing Parkour. We also offer guidance and support for Parkour training, including providing assistance to schools wishing to teach Parkour as part of a physical education curriculum.

###

Visit Skynative Website

space