DICK'S Sporting Goods employs Olympics hopefuls in their stores and provides them flexible working hours so they can balance training with everyday responsibilities. Tribeca Studios produced five short stylized documentaries with five different filmmakers profiling DSG Olympic contenders as they worked towards their Olympic dreams.
10.38
Jerome Avery is the guide runner for David Brown, the fastest completely blind sprinter in the world. Joined by four inches of rope, this summer they will represent Team USA as they run side by side for Paralympic gold in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Directed by Daniel Carbone
PICTURE YOURSELF *Vimeo Staff Pick
Charles Clark believes in the power of visualization. He hears the crowds. He tastes the sweat. He feels the energy. He smells the smoke. Most importantly though, he sees himself bringing home a gold medal for Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games. And yet, after suffering a debilitating injury in 2010, this once-decorated athlete's goal seems more distant than ever. To reclaim his dream, he's dedicated his life to power of positive thinking and visualization. As the games near and his odds converge with his aspirations, Charles explores past wounds both on and off the track and realizes that true victory doesn't always come in gold.
Directed by Henry Busby
LIBERO (FREE)
After four years of waiting, Bethany Zummo has another chance to represent the U.S. Women's Paralympic Sitting Volleyball Team in 2016. Born without a fully developed leg, sports has given her the confidence to handle whatever this year serves.
Directed by Matthew Bonifacio
BACKBONE
When spinal injuries cut short Kaitlyn McElroy's nordic skiing career, she channeled her drive into a new sport, kayaking. On land, she still battles back pain — but on the water, her kayak becomes a brace, supporting her spine and easing her pain while she paddles toward an extraordinary goal: the 2016 Olympics.
Directed by Jonathan VanBallenberghe
SECOND TO NONE
Second to None follows Isabella Isaksen, a 2016 Olympic contender in Modern Pentathlon, as she competes alongside her sibling Margaux, a two-time Olympian. Second to None is a story about competition – what it ultimately means and what happens when we let it define us – as seen through two sisters who compete in one of the more obscure and grueling Olympic events.
Directed by Genéa Gaudet
Three of the five films aired on ESPN. All five films were then released on DICK'S digital platforms.