MOUNTLAKE TERRACE, Wash. — When it comes to following your passion, Rene Bibaud says you might as well jump.
“I started jumping rope when I was ten,” Bibaud said.
Bibaud watched a rope jumping demonstration in elementary school and never looked back.
“It became my life passion,” Bibaud said, “I’ve been jumping ever since.”
The sport has taken this Kirkland woman all around the world.
“By the time I was in middle school we were traveling to be on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," Bibaud said. "I would travel to Japan twice, Australia, all over the country. And those experiences are so precious to me because they helped build who I am.”
She went on to tour with Cirque du Soleil as a performer and coach.
“To work with such high-caliber athletes and to perform and travel with them was such an incredible experience,” Bibaud said.
Now, she’s roping in a whole new generation of jumpers by bringing motivational presentations to schools and businesses, leading summer camps, and coaching local athletes through her company, RopeWorks.
She said, “I think one of the main misconceptions about jumping rope is that it’s a thing that just girls do.”
Bibaud is out to show that jumping rope is for everyone.
“You can do it alone,” said Bibaud, “You can do it with a partner. You can do it in a larger group.”
And it’s easier to learn than you think.
“Anybody can do it if they’ve got a really good teacher, like me,” she laughed.
Jumping rope is great for your mind and body.
“Really an intense workout,” said Bibaud, “Agility, timing, coordination, foot speed, endurance.”
It’s inexpensive. And portable.
“You can take the rope with you anywhere you go,” Bibaud said.
Plus, you can do it at any age. Rene Bibaud looks forward to “jumping ahead” for years to come.
“I’m never gonna stop jumping.”
You can see Rene and her team in action Saturday and Sunday at this weekend’s Bumbershoot festival. They’ll be showcasing their skills as part of the Playground Plaza performance area.
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