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A former rough sleeper has returned to the streets to teach how to get over obstacles by jumping, climbing and running.
As a teenager, John-Daniel Scullion used to sleep where he could on Sheppey but now he is putting on classes in the sport – known as parkour, or free-running – near the skatepark in Beach Street, Sheerness, every Friday.
Mr Scullion, who is 30 and lives in Gillingham, used to sleep in car parks and on the seafront when he was a 16-years-old due to problems at home.
With help from his family and friends, he set up a business, Retraceuring Steps Parkour, to pass on tips, such as how to concentrate and plan for tackling an obstacle, usually steps, walls or railings, before setting off.
He started off giving classes in Medway before expanding to Gravesend and Abbey Wood.
Mr Scullion, who has Asperger syndrome, said: “I was homeless during my teens for probably 18 months to two years and I spent a large amount of that time on Sheppey with friends.
“We had a large following of younger kids we taught parkour to. When it got to high enough temperatures we’d be practising into the evenings.
“I always said when I was doing it for a living I’d come back to Sheppey. It was a promise I made to myself.
“When you’re living on the streets and you don’t really have anything and you find the fun in creating something for yourself, you throw yourself into it with everything you have.
“I found this community that loved what I could do movement-wise and turned it into a living.
“Now I’m up and running I’m able to expand from Medway and Sheppey was the next logical place.”
He added that he started to look for help when he woke up one morning with a 4x4 about to reverse over him, as he was sleeping in a carport.
He survived off 15p snacks and 26p energy drinks from Tesco, as they were the cheapest things to buy.
Now Mr Scullion, with fellow coach Adam McKenna, is focused on teaching people the art of parkour.
He said: “It’s a non-competitive sport. It’s about making efficient movements for getting from point A to point B. You have to think calmly as well and build your skills up with patience.”
The classes are run on Fridays between 3.30pm and 7.30pm and prices start at £5 for your first session.
The first hour, 3.30pm to 4.30pm, is for four to eight-year-olds; then it’s a class for nine to 15-year-olds from 4.30pm to 5.30pm; anyone 16 and over is welcome from 5.30pm to 6.30pm and a female only session is held from 6.30pm to 7.30pm.
For more information, search for Retraceuring Steps Parkour on Facebook.
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