What started in 2007 as a group of friends sharing a passion for parkour has grown into something much bigger.
Based in Grimsby, Team Reality have spent almost two decades helping to develop the local parkour community, from grassroots sessions and outdoor spaces, to their own indoor facility, events, and an ever growing collection of content online through their YouTube channel.
Today, Team Reality are a Parkour UK member organisation, and continues to provide opportunities for people of all ages to get involved in parkour, whilst creating content that documents and celebrates the wider parkour community.
"We became a member as we want to be involved in the future growth of parkour. Being a member allows us to be involved and gives us a direct link to Sport England which improves our standing for funding and more support within UK sport." - Jake Harris, Team Reality
Team Reality began back in 2007, when a group of friends came together through their shared interest in parkour.
As their passion developed, so did their involvement in the local community. Those informal training sessions gradually evolved into opportunities to deliver sessions, contribute towards the development of parkour spaces, and eventually establish an indoor parkour facility of their own.
That journey is a great example on how local parkour communities can develop over time. A group of people getting together to train can become a coaching organisation, a facility, an event organiser, and a source of inspiration for the next generation.
For Team Reality, that development has happened organically over many years.
A particularly important part of Team Reality is the young practitioners who make up the next generation of athletes.
They have a handful of sponsored athletes who regularly feature, create, and film for their YouTube channel, and contribute towards the wider events that Team Reality delivers, including their annual Grim Jam event, and their Reality Stick Off.
The weekly videos on the Team Reality YouTube channel gives the audience an opportunity to follow the team, attend events that may not have been able to attend themselves in person, and get a deeper look into parkour's community and culture.
Behind Team Reality's work is Jake Harris, who has been involved with Team Reality since the beginning. Jake was also part of the first cohort to undertake the Parkour UK Level 4 Master Coach and Coach Educator qualification, reflecting his continued commitment to developing his coaching practice and supporting the wider development of parkour.
Team Reality runs a number of sessions throughout the week, including their Home Education sessions. They create opportunities for young people to engage with parkour as part of their physical development.
However, their work is not only limited to coaching.
Every year, they host "Grim Jam", an event that brings practitioners together in Grimsby or the surrounding areas for a weekend of training, competitions, challenges, and community.
The event has become an opportunity for the local community to showcase what Grimsby has to offer whilst also welcoming practitioners from further afield. For one weekend, parkour takes over the town, with practitioners coming together to share the experience.
Media has also become a major part of Team Reality's work.
Their YouTube channel provides a regular look into their training, projects, and people involved with the team. Alongside weekly videos, they have produced their own parkour film, "Recognition", showcasing their approach to parkour through a longer form creative project.
Their content has extended far beyond their own local community. They recently documented our British Parkour Championships, helping capture the atmosphere and stories surrounding one of the UK's biggest parkour events from the community's perspective.
This combination of participation and documentation is an important part of Team Reality's identity. They aren't just creating opportunities to train and compete - They are also creating a record of the people, places, and experience that make up parkour culture.
After almost 20 years, Team Reality's journey demonstrates how much can grow from a small group of friends simply wanting to practice parkour together.
From helping develop parkour spaces, to running their now indoor facility, delivering regular sessions, supporting young practitioners, hosting annual event, producing films, their work now reaches beyond those original training sessions back in 2007.
As a Parkour UK member organisation, Team Reality are part of a growing network of organisations helping to build the future of parkour across the UK.
And, most importantly, they're still writing their story.
With a new generation of sponsored athletes, regular coaching, Grim Jam running annually, and new stories being captured through their YouTube channel, Team Reality continue to show what can happen when a passion for parkour develops into something bigger than an individual.
Want to find out more about Team Reality?
You can follow their work online and keep up with their latest videos and projects by visiting their YouTube channel below.
