Jumps and flips offer hope - 29th April 2022

In the war-ravaged town of Ariha in Syria, a group of friends practise the sport of parkour. A physical challenge that demands mental focus and physical strength, it provides an escape for its participants, known as 'traceurs'.

Like hundreds of thousands of others, 24 year old Ahmed al-Sawas has been displaced from the city of Aleppo.

Ahmed al-Sawas: "I put this team together two and a half years ago. We train in destroyed areas, areas where there has been strikes. Members of the team got in touch with me via social media. We put together a team and started training on buildings because we haven't got dedicated spaces for parkour in Syria."

Parkour originated in the outskirts of Paris in the 1990s. First termed 'the art of movement', it's a means of overcoming many different obstacles in urban and natural environments.

Born at the start of Syria's civil war, Hadi al-Sawas, aged 11, has only ever practised parkour in the ruins of this city pummelled by conflict. Like other young traceurs, it's the only life he knows.

Hadi al-Sawas: "I've been practising this sport for six years, along with my brother. We go to destroyed areas and jump from building to building. We do parkour in these destroyed areas. Everything here is destroyed. We do soft moves."

The team say Parkour offers a kind of rebirth, allowing them to create something out of nothing in their country. Parkour also affords these traceurs the chance to dream.

From its humble beginning in Paris, this October will see parkour take to the global stage when the first World Championships opens in Tokyo, Japan. While still too big a leap for traceur Mohammed Akash, the possibilities fill him with a sense of adventure.

Mohammed Akash: "It's got adventure, and I love adventure. Yes, it can be dangerous and it comes with pain and injury, but thankfully I've reached a good level now. My dream is to be the best at parkour in Syria."