Athlete movie by David Lam
If you’ve been competing in endurance sports for a decade or so, you’ve likely noticed more crowded starting lines. It’s no secret that attendance is WAY up for everything from 5k races to ultra triathlons. The US experienced more widespread affluence in the last fifteen years than it ever has before. This has afforded Americans much more recreational time. Rather than having to worry about where the next dollar will come from, citizens are more concerned with the color of their spandex. Technology has also made our jobs less physically demanding. Instead of laboring hard all day, many of us toil in a chair with nothing to operate but a computer mouse.
Since we haven’t completely Darwined out our desire for physical activity, we continue to seek such challenges. How far can we run? How fast can we pedal? The industry has responded to this need. Companies keep us drooling with prodigious amounts of shiny new gear. Event organizers are serving up more races than ever. And the media is right there capturing it all in photos and in print.
Director/Producer David Lam spent the better part of 2007 and 2008 filming and editing a movie that captures the character of today’s amateur endurance athletes. It is not a professional athlete highlight reel. It is not a Lance Armstrong documentary. It is a film about the rest of us. It follows men and women that work 9-to-5 jobs, raise families and deal with life’s challenges. It is a film that we can all relate to and you can see it this year. Here is a synopsis from the ATHLETE website.
What defines and athlete? Is it the love and support of thousands, a championship ring, or a multi-million dollar contract? Think again.
ATHLETE is a documentary that examines the growing popularity of endurance sports among everyday Americans and profiles a diverse group of individuals who are redefining what it means to be an “athlete.” The film features ordinary people who balance work, family, and life with an incredible commitment towards achieving extraordinary goals.
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February 4th, 2009 at 10:03 am
i have noticed the spike in attendance at these sort of races. i think it is great. some races think we’re a bunch of wanna bes. but you have to see that more and more people want to be involved in physical activity….don’t diss us. anyway, it is funny tho, that race attendance is higher than it has ever been and so is obesity….