Tyson Cecka
There you are, trudging across campus and dragging a 40 pound backpack behind you. It’s just another ordinary day here at the UW, when wait, are you kidding? Did you just see that guy swing over that railing, leap up onto that wall, grab a tree branch and after flying through the air, land gracefully on his feet? What was that?
Well, you likely just encountered Tyson Cecka who emphatically does not trudge anywhere. He is a dedicated traceur: practicing the art of parkour, a physical activity similar to martial arts involving running, leaping and swinging; making your way through your environment without restriction.
Tyson, a UW student on hiatus and not currently enrolled in classes, is actively involved in learning, teaching and living his passion for parkour. Before taking a break from his studies he was a Computer Science major in his sophomore year, and planning to work in that field after completing his degree. But he found that he was truly thriving in his involvement with parkour. What started out as an extra-curricular activity has become so fully integrated in his life that Tyson says it is impossible to distinguish the ways in which parkour has changed him. “It’s changed everything about me,” he said.
"It changes the way you think. When you spend all day overcoming [physical] obstacles and then you come across a challenge in your personal life, you think, no big deal... I can overcome this, too."
As the entertainment and advertising industries began to pay attention, Tyson knew it was important to get in on the ground level and establish himself in the industry. It was this realization that helped him to make the difficult decision to take a break from school. “I wanted to complete my degree,” he said, “but I knew I could always come back to school whereas the opportunity to break into parkour could not be put off.” Subsequently, he took Spring 2007 off from school and travelled to Japan, Hong Kong, Macau and LA, performing in documentary videos as well as live performances, starring in an act at the World Stunt Awards at Paramount Studios and a nationally televised K-Swiss commercial with Anna Kournikova.
When Tyson returns to the UW, he will be working towards completing his education as a self-chosen goal and not just because it‘s the next expected life step. He plans to change his course of study to Zoology or Psychology because he’s interested in learning the humanistic and animalistic aspects of our evolution as humans. Of course he will continue to share his experiences and his passion for parkour with others.
Tyson’s belief in parkour is so strong that it has led him to teach – something he had not considered before. He instructs parkour in a variety of different venues including at a local alternative school, Puget Sound Community School. He teaches students the basic skills they need and encourages them to learn on their own. Tyson stresses that in parkour no one is ever done learning and no one is ever the “best.” One of the advantages of parkour is that everyone can follow their own learning curve.
"It changes the way you think. When you spend all day overcoming [physical] obstacles and then you come across a challenge in your personal life, you think, no big deal... I can overcome this, too."
The goal of parkour is to “move unrestricted through your environment,” and for Tyson, to find “elegant solutions to overcoming obstacles.” As we watch Tyson fly deftly across the UW campus we have no doubt that he’s accomplished just that. We just can’t wait to say “we knew him when...”
