Sports Calendar

His arm was badly broken and for a while it looked as if he might lose it. He spent a year building it back up and though he’s no longer hampered by the injury, if you look closely you can still see the dent from the impact.

Small, compact and supple, Foucan describes himself as “hyperactive” but he seems softly spoken and laidback, prone to guru-like philosophical statements: “Fear is just my brain telling me that I have to be careful”; “destination is an illusion: you never know what is coming next”; “the right time is an illusion where we imagine everything will be perfect ”.

He draws awestruck looks from passers-by as he demonstrates his skills behind the Hayward gallery. One moment he’s like a big cat padding along a narrow rail, the next he vaults a big wall with a huge monkey jump, landing with a silky forward roll. He is constantly looking for things to scale, jump over or hang off.

His next plan is to set up a free running academy, right here on the South Bank, to pass on his skills. Why not in France where it all began? “Because everything started to happen for me in the UK and I want to give it back,” he says. “People here are more open to my philosophy and embrace the concepts rather than in France where I’m some crazy guy who jumps across roofs.”

The Regime

TRAINING

I don’t like the word “train” but I never stop practising. I’ve sprained ankles on several occasions and also suffered inflammation of the tendons in both knees. I’ve now learnt to stretch my muscles properly before and after exercise and it’s gone away. I also practise Ashtanga yoga to keep me supple. You can learn from other forms of movement and sport, and work your new skills into your free running. I play football and do gymnastics and breakdancing. I don’t go to the gym and pump weights, though. There’s no point.

I worked as a firefighter several years ago and almost lost my arm in an accident. It took a year to regain the capacity to move my arm properly. The accident stopped me taking anything for granted.

DIET

I understand something about nutrition but I don’t follow a special diet. I try to eat well and resist temptation but I have the occasional burger. It’s about avoiding extremes.

Kit bag

GRIPMASTER RED HAND EXERCISER £12 www.thegripmaster.co.uk

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