On this day, a year ago I broke two ribs. Very stupidly, doing a (very small) precision jump from a tree to a tree.

I lost my balance at landing and, instead of bailing, I tried to grab hands of the person who was there with me. Well, that didn’t really work out so I fell flat on my back. On a sharp rock. Yeah, it hurt like hell. I couldn’t move, laugh, cough, sneeze, sleep, sit or even put on my socks properly for the next 3 weeks and the real comeback to training lasted a lot longer due to fear and distrust in the capabilities of my own body.

It’s funny how random events in life teach you valuable lessons… and it’s only when I came back to the spot, alone, eight months later, at 7am on a sunny Saturday morning in November, after making the jump successfully (and even diving over it – yeah, it’s that small) that I managed to grasp the full magnitude of what I had to learn from this fall. Most of it only has personal significance but there are a few things that I would like to share.

·Failure is OK. It’s one of the things that make us human. And nothing feels as amazing as standing happily up again after a failure! In my case – sticking that precision jump felt better than flying to the Moon J

· Don’t count on anyone else but you. In parkour, as in life, coaches and role models serve a purpose of inspiration – but the real hero is only you.

· Sometimes a jump really is just a jump. Don’t overthink and enjoy your training, your movement, your challenges, your lifestyle.

· And remember – always find a way to play!

See more of Ana’s adventures on her Facebook page HERE.