Elijah is the founder and owner of Blue Ridge Motion, having taught himself parkour back in 2009, he hasn’t stopped moving since. He discovered his passion for movement in 2007 when he first began to take MMA classes, over time he began to try break dancing, and ultimately, parkour, tricking and free running. He was the first certified Parkour instructor in the NRV Region, now followed by his younger brother Simeon Bowen.
Elijah started Blue Ridge Motion back in September of 2014 in the local rec center in Floyd county VA (The June Bug center) and after 3 years of working in Floyd was able to open up his own gym in Christiansburg, Virginia on December 4th of 2017. Elijah has always had a passion for kids, youth, mentoring and teaching, and is always looking to further educate and master himself in the fields of fitness, training, parkour, free running and tricking, and is presently pursuing further certification in fitness, and parkour.
Since 2017, Elijah has also been working as a Parkour specialist for a Jewish Sleep away camp in Thurmont, Maryland called Camps Airy and Louise, training hundreds of boys and girls over the summer how to do Parkour, and ninja warrior type of activities. One of his most notable students though has been a boy millions of people have seen in the Marvel End Game movie, named Jack Champion (Boy on a bike), Elijah taught Jack some movie martial arts and parkour type movements right here in Christiansburg. “I was surprised to see his face when I watched the movie and leaned over to my wife and said “I taught that kid!”, it was a funny and very cool moment to see someone I know on the big screen!”
Most dear to Elijah though is his Christian faith, loving supportive wife and his family and friends. He attributes his current businesses success over the years, first to God who “has opened all the doors and made this all possible.” Second, by adopting a “Christian business model” as given in the Bible; one that values integrity, honesty, fairness, equality and a sense of personal relationship with all the clients that come to learn. Not just a faceless, lifeless corporation, but a family that helps meet each others needs, not a money making machine. “This business isn’t about making me rich” Elijah says, “It’s about changing peoples lives for the better. To be healthier, to be educated about their body, and to make a lasting difference in peoples lives, and expand the community of parkour that I grew up loving. If it makes enough to support itself, those that work for it, and myself, I am content with it.”  Thirdly to his friends and family that helped him start the company by teaching with Him and supporting the business in that way.  Cassie Linkous who moved on to work with a Martial arts school, Simeon Bowen who has been Elijah’s trusty right hand man, and to others that have come in and out along the way.   Lastly, of course his wife, who has been his help, comfort and support through much of the time he has labored over making the business come together. With a smile he remarked “Getting our own location like we did, may not have been possible, if it weren’t for her also working.” He went on to say. “It hasn’t always been easy… There were a lot of times where I would be working a lot of extra side jobs, just whatever I could find to do and be paid so that I could make sure the bills were taken care of, and that my people were paid. Often times, it was simply me trusting God would provide me the opportunity to work to keep everything paid, and without fail, He did always provide at the least enough!”
Elijah’s goal as the gym grows and expands, is to grow the parkour community and make a difference through a form a mentor-ship to all the students that come through.

Qualifications
– Adult and Pediatric CPR/First Aid/AED certified.
– Certified Parkour Instructor: BAM Academy, Austin Texas. January 2015. | APK Academy, Washington D.C. February 2018.
– Over 12 years of Martial arts experience in: MMA, Tae Kwan Do, Kajukenbo, and Aikido.

Video Portfolio
– Humble Beginnings –