STORY: Oldest parkour practitioner in Cuba
DATELINE: Aug. 28, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:59
LOCATION: Havana
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Osvaldo practicing parkour
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): OSVALDO ROQUE DE ARANA, Cuban parkour practitioner
3. various of Osvaldo practicing parkour
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Spanish): OSVALDO ROQUE DE ARANA, Cuban parkour practitioner
5. various of Osvaldo practicing parkour

STORYLINE:

Osvaldo Roque de Arana, a 58-year-old Cuban man, has become a sport star at home and abroad for being the "oldest practitioner of parkour in the country," as acknowledged by local sports experts.

Parkour, a unique physical activity that originated in France in the 1980s, is defined as the art of moving from one point to another in the most efficient way, overcoming natural environmental obstacles through skills.

His family supports him, although initially someone thought he was "too old" for this sport.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Spanish): OSVALDO ROQUE DE ARANA, Cuban parkour practitioner
"Age is not the main limit because if you keep yourself in perfect condition, I mean, doing your sport, living a healthy life, not overindulging in drinking, no smoking, it seems to me that this kind of lifestyle can benefit me a lot."

The near-sexagenarian enthusiast of this extreme sport has left thousands of internet users and passersby astonished by his strength and abilities.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Spanish): OSVALDO ROQUE DE ARANA, Cuban parkour practitioner
"I feel free to overcome the barriers like railing. It's good to challenge myself all the time. It's just like searching for a balance between the obstacles and freedom."

Roque mentioned that he started practicing seven months ago as a self-taught person by "watching videos and reading," and he has already earned over 50,000 followers on social media till now.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Havana.
(XHTV)