From new recruit to west coast finalist in just 2 years, Freedom in Motion's coach Amy Dominguez has made a huge impact on the local movement scene and stands as a major inspiration to local athletes. Especially young girls looking for powerful role models in the sport. In this article, we catch up with Amy to see how she got to this point and what's next on her journey.
At Freedom in Motion, we always get questions like “Why is parkour a good sport for my children?” or, “What are the ways that parkour could help me in my everyday life? There is no one better to ask than our coaches. Our coaches are athletes, who just like all of you had to have started somewhere. They have conquered many battles both in the air and in the mind to be able to teach this form of movement. We have asked them a few questions to show you their parkour journey and we can’t wait to get yours started too!
This is Coach Amy Dominguez
Amy is based out of the FiM Loma Linda location* and has been doing parkour since early 2020. In that time, Amy has thrived in the deep sense of community found within parkour. Let's jump into this interview.
How has coaching at FIM changed your life?
Coaching at FIM has changed my life in a multitude of ways. First, it has thrown me into an amazing community that I never knew existed. The parkour community is accepting, encouraging, and always pushing you to challenge yourself. My mindset towards movement as a lifestyle has only been strengthened. It’s confirmed the belief I have towards valuing the abilities of the body when combined with the power of the mind. On that note, I’m the strongest physically I’ve ever been in my life so that’s cool. I’ve done things I never imagined myself doing during this season of my life, and that feels really empowering.
What has been your most impactful moment with parkour?
I think it’s hard to pick one moment. If anything, it’s more of a culmination of moments. Regarding coaching, I love seeing when a student becomes more confident over time because of doing parkour. When they come in really reserved and then eventually are just out there jumping around and talking with the other kids. I think parkour teaches you that you don't have to fit in a box, you can move however you want and be yourself in the process.
For my own movement I think I'm most impacted when I'm presented with a challenge, and it overcome my fears of it. The process of realizing that I'm the only person standing in my own way is both paralyzing and freeing. I'm a methodical trainer who likes LOTS of progressions, so usually by the end of working through those my body is ready and it's just the mental game I'm playing. It's pushing through that pure logic state of mind that only wants you to do what you know. You could say it takes a bit of risk and a dash of crazy. And I'm into that.
What inspired you to compete?
Honestly, it was my fellow coaches who pushed me to compete. Pretty simply they said, "Why not?", and I couldn't come up with a good reason. I like competition in general and I really had nothing to lose. There's no ego in it for me since I'm so new to the sport. I have nothing to prove, and I feel really good about being in that space because it allows me to have fun.
What was your experience competing?
Oh man, it was crazy! I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I didn't fully understand the format until my first comp at FIM Murrieta. The house was packed, and I was super nervous. I was only participating in speed and skill for that event, and it was halfway through speed that I really started having a blast! Having your friends and even people you've just met cheering you on and helping you break down the challenges is really uniting. I ended up placing 1st in Speed and 3rd in Skills.
A week later I left to go to Amsterdam for 4 months but continued my training there and came back strong. My first comp back at FIM Loma Linda I placed 1st in Speed again. I was surprised that I enjoyed the speed category so much, but I guess it makes sense, it’s essentially an adult obstacle course! I never competed in Freestyle for the whole season because I didn't like the pressure of everyone watching. But lo and behold, one of my awesome students’ moms (shout out to Marie) encouraged me to put myself out there at the final qualifying event. Well, turns out that was the golden one because I got first in Speed, Skills, and yes, Freestyle. I was genuinely shocked when they called my name up for 1st. The other girls were throwing down, and I was just focusing on my flow, having fun and doing something different, and I guess that translated to the judges. Also, that stack of judges had some big names in the parkour community so that felt good getting recognition from them too.
Being a female in the competitions I obviously felt like an outlier and sometimes it felt intimidating because I was having to do the same challenges that males twice my height and power were being asked to do. But knowing that I think it was all the more rewarding to complete some of the bigger skills challenges. It was a safe environment for me to be in and I was always supported by everyone. Showing up to represent for the females was a win in and of itself.
Finals was obviously a blast as well, I didn't feel on my game but managed to pull out 3rd in Speed, 4th in Freestyle (lost in big trick, which is a weird thing anyways, why are we defining someone’s style in one move?), and 3rd in skills. Overall 2nd place in women’s 18+ category for team Freedom in Motion. But at the end of the day, I'm really grateful to be able to compete with my students and for the new connections I made and memories I can always look back on.
Would you say that competition has changed your outlook on parkour?
Competition hasn't really changed anything other than the fact that I want to continue improving and pushing myself. I got to see so many sides of the community as well that inspired me to move in new and different ways. Everybody values different things in movement and that’s okay. Some people only work towards big and powerful movements, others look for unique shapes and spaces, and then there’s those who love both. There are so many types of movers, but there’s room for this and that and everything in between. My mindset towards parkour still stands that if you’re enjoying it, growing from it, and being impacted by your experience then I say it’s a good thing.
Super Cool Videos of Coach Amy!!!!
Gym line:
FIM murrieta speed courses:
FIM Loma Linda speed run:
Finals freestyle run:
Closing Words
Parkour is a culture composed of passion for movement and support amongst its practitioners. We have a deep pride for what we do for our communities and the individuals who come to Freedom in Motion to hone their skills and discover their strengths.
If you want to learn some cool tricks like the ones Coach Amy can do, come join us here at FiM Murrieta* or at FiM Loma Linda!* Sign up for your first class right there. Want to support the gym with some parkour clothing or training gear? See what we have in our online shop. Click here.
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