Carolin and Isabel from Germany are twins with amazing natural ability and a willingness to try anything parkour put in front of them. While their passion may drive them individually, the relationship between the sisters pushes each other to excel. Returning from injuries this year, the sisters were fighting fit during the Worldwide Traceuse Gathering and provided plenty of fire and laughs throughout the week. Good things come in twos!
- Girlparkour.com
Carolin & Isabel
1. Name
Carolin and Isabel Riffel
2. Location Frankfurt am Main, Germany
3. Occupation
Carolin: Student
Isabel:Student
4. Tell us about you
C: I am 17 years old and student in a gymnasium. before I started parkour I played soccer for 8 years and tried a lot of other sports. I love traveling and hanging out with friends for training.
I: I’m a 17 years old girl which loved doing sports all her life. As Carolin I’ve been playing soccer for a very long time. Another passion of mine is traveling. I love meeting new people and getting to know different cultures.
5. How did you get into parkour?
C: My sister watched some videos on youtube and was impressed. We found a forum of the local parkour community and went to a jam at the weekend where the boys showed us some stuff. Since that we are training together with the guys in and arround Frankfurt.
I: My first contact with parkour was on youtube. I’ve been really impressed by the movement and started to look for some information on the internet. That’s how I found the homepage of team Ashigaru, who I’m training with now.
6. How long have you been practising?
C: I started parkour 1 ½ years ago but sadly had some breaks because of injuries. I think those injuries cost me some time while regeneration but they increased my will to move so much and taught me to be thankful for having a healthy body. They showed me that being able to move is not a matter of course and that i have to spend more attention on my body because he is my best friend – the one who will never leave me… he is the one, my soul will die with.
I: I’ve been training parkour for about 1 ½ years now.
7. What does parkour mean to you in less than 5 words
C: Everything
I: Finding my path through life
8. What’s your best parkour achievement to date?
C: There is not one best achievment but i think the best things have been the travels. It is fun to move to other cities and meet traceurs around the world. The last 1 ½ years have been the best of my life, I made a lot of good friends and every day with them is a great achievement.
I: I think training parkour made me a lot stronger physically and mentally.Before I started training I’ve been really shy and had problems to show others the “real me”.Through parkour I earned a lot of selfconfidence and learned how to express myself through the movement. By doing parkour you learn how to handle your environment and to get over obstacles as you learn how to handle people around you and solve problems. I think parkour gives you a new view of life.
9. What is your favourite parkour move?
C: Aaawww that’s difficult, I think there is no special move I prefer.
I: I don’t have a favorite parkour move but I like doing runs because they give you a feeling of freedom and control (because you can move totally individually)
Carolin
Isabel
10.What advice would you give to other girls thinking of getting in to parkour?
C: Don’t let anything get you down. Sometimes there are times you don’t see any progress and you feel weak in those times you shouldn’t try to force your body to progress faster, just give your body the time it needs and you will see progression will come in time.
I: When you’re starting your training most of the guys your training with will be boys. So just don’t be shy. Don’t be intimidated because they are stronger then you, progressing faster or could possibly laugh at you. You’re just training for yourself and not for anyone else. Don’t let anything get you down. Just keep on trying 
10+1.Personal thoughts, comments, goals, dreams..
C: I would like to thank everybody i met during the last 1,5 years of my training and that have become more than just training partners, but good friends and also extended family. After a few injuries I started to question myself and the things I was doing. But good friends helped me with some advice, that I would like to share with others…
In Parkour there are 2 different sorts of fear. Positive fear protects you and shows you that something is dangerous and that you have to be careful, or that you are not ready to do this.And there is negative fear caused by doubt. It can make you lose control over your body during a move. You have to learn to separate the positive from the negative fear and trust in your abilities and skills. During the training you should have a clear/free mind.Don’t think about the things you have to do or the maths exam etc.. . Focus on the things you are doing in that moment and do it with passion. Mistakes are often cause by a deficit of focusing/concentration.
Also I would like to thank Shi for doing a great job with this page. I wish all the traceurs and traceuses a great training, take care, Carolin
I:This spring I had a really serious injury (basal skull fracture). Due to this injury I had to take a break for about 3 month. During this time I realized that I’ve been claiming my body too much and that it’s just been a matter of time until my body couldn’t take it anymore. That’s why my goal is to become a lot stronger and prepare my body better. Also I want to work a lot more on my basics and runs to make my movements smoother and more controlled.
Carolin’s summer video 2008
Carolin’s winter 2008/09 videoThank you to Carolin and Isabel for their great answers and we wish them lots of strength and longevity in their training.
Team Ashigaru’s website is www.ashigaru.de
Team Yonetsu’s blog is yonetsu-da.blogspot.com
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