Minnesota's Only Parkour Gym Sees COVID Business Boom

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A one-of-a-kind gym in Minnesota is taking off amidst a pandemic.

Fight or Flight Academy focuses on the discipline of parkour, an old French method of working out that has similarities to gymnastics and martial arts.

"Parkour, in short, is using your body to go from any place to any other place as quickly, safely and efficiently as possible, and overcoming all obstacles that are on your path." Fight or Flight's Holden Hagerman said. "The workout is like an afterthought, right? And most people are just looking to, you know, get out, get moving, have fun and learn some cool stuff."

It's the only gym of its type in Minnesota. Veronica Perevertylo, a former child gymnast, discovered Parkour last year.

"It's super thrilling, it's a big adrenaline rush," Perevertylo said. "It's just honestly indescribable, a really cool feeling to be able to do it, and land it, and to be like wow, I did that."

She's one of many new customers at Flight or Flight, as they've had a surge of people jump on board since COVID-19's arrival in Minnesota.

"We can socially distance so easily when we're doing this. You know, there's no contact required, which is just like a huge blessing for the time and current events," Hagerman said.

Most students are beginners, and Hagerman says most students are the creative type.

"That's what brings us together is everyone is a little weird, and we love that, we love our goofballs," Hagerman said.

The staff at Fight or Flight credits the surge in business to the fact that, unlike martial arts, they are contactless. They also believe more people are restless from being at home. They also train both adults and kids.

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