Featured Picture: Megan McJames. Credit score: Adam Clark
Megan McJames, a former U.S. alpine World Cup racer and Olympian, is happy to share her newest achievement: Trailblazer. The inspiring documentary Trailblazer highlights Megan McJames’ journey to grow to be the primary skier to qualify for the Winter Olympic Video games after being lower from the U.S. Ski Staff.
A feminine athlete battling towards all odds, Megan’s story of grit, perseverance, and self-determination is bound to encourage viewers to comply with their desires within the face of adversity.
McJames defined, “I really feel a bit susceptible as a result of the story on this movie is my story, and it doesn’t finish with an Olympic gold medal like so many Olympic tales that get made into movie.”
“I really feel that it is a story value sharing as a result of the empowerment I gained from dealing with the struggles I went by after being lower from the nationwide crew is one thing that I hope will resonate. I imagine the Olympic spirit on this story lives within the classes discovered alongside the best way greater than the tip outcomes.”
The profitable athlete made the brave determination to share her experiences and revisit her challenges, with the intention of permitting different rivals to attach along with her journey and derive precious insights from the teachings she acquired all through her path.
KGB Productions, a Jackson Gap-based movie firm, grasped onto McJames’ story and needed to help her in telling it by display.
After plenty of exhausting work, KGB Productions finalized the movie and initially debuted it on the No Man’s Land Movie Pageant World Tour. From that time, audiences embraced the movie at numerous showings all through the nation.
Now, McJames and the whole crew at KGB Productions are celebrating the upcoming Amazon Prime launch of the movie that might be obtainable November 1st, 2024, for streaming.
The Journey of Creating Trailblazer
Put up-retirement, McJames needed to inform her story however needed to resolve how she was going to realize that.
She defined, “After I used to be completed, folks have been telling me that I ought to write a ebook. The ebook ought to mirror on how I used to be the primary skier to make the Olympic Video games after being lower from the U.S. Ski Staff.”
“Nevertheless, writing a ebook didn’t actually attraction to me, however I believed I may do a film on this. The concept was to only share the story.”
The movie has been in manufacturing for a while now. With a lot of the filming concluding over three years in the past, there have been a couple of features that took longer than anticipated.
McJames mentioned the challenges they overcame to get the documentary to the place they needed it, which included rewriting the movie to make sure that they might clarify the game so anybody watching it will perceive. Additionally, ensuring they didn’t get too far into the weeds of standards, factors, and the way alpine racers qualify for the Olympic Video games.
There have been additionally some hurdles with licensing an Olympic movie, which extended the discharge.
“We needed to undergo all these steps one after the other, and that’s why it took so lengthy. However now, it’s a completed mission, and I’m so excited to get it in entrance of individuals, and hopefully they prefer it and really feel impressed by it.”
Embracing Vulnerability
Through the documentary, McJames needed to embrace her susceptible attributes as she engaged in intimate interviews surrounding totally different struggles she confronted on her alpine ski racing journey.
“Vulnerability is right. Reliving a few of these actually exhausting moments and coping with the dangerous remedy was difficult. I feel it was a great factor as a result of, in the long run, as I discussed, I had no regrets,” McJames defined.
Her goal of telling the more durable elements of her journey was to disclose perseverance by these struggles and present the viewers that it may be very empowering to work by the downs to realize your objectives.
Extra Unbiased Racers and Groups Discovering Success
In 2012, McJames was lower from the U.S. Ski Staff and dedicated to snowboarding independently from that time. Previously 12 years, unbiased athletes and groups have grow to be extra frequent on the World Cup circuit.
McJames defined, “I feel it’s wonderful! Simply the concept that there’s not one proper option to do issues usually, however particularly in sport.”
“I feel that flexibility is one thing that nobody dimension suits all. Nevertheless, it makes me really feel proud that individuals are following their desires and paving their path the best way that speaks to them,” she continued.
Nonetheless, she does talk about the logistical challenges that unbiased racers must be extra cognizant about.
Not being on a nationwide crew, she explains, “You might be lacking the funding, the medical insurance, the coaching, and all of these issues you must impulsively manage by your self.”
The movie discusses these totally different challenges from the attitude of learn how to buckle down and be taught to navigate by them.
The Empowerment of Believing in Your self
McJames hopes that viewers will join with this story from the documentary and be impressed to pursue their objectives regardless of dealing with extra challenges than anticipated.
“Ultimately, I really feel like that empowerment of believing in myself is what made the journey value it,” McJames defined.
She concluded, “I hope that they see the grit and perseverance and so they can relate it to their battle that they’re going by and hopefully discover hope that there’s going to be some empowerment and classes in the long run.”
The movie might be streaming, however McJames and KGB Productions will proceed to indicate it stay in several places. Take a look at a whole listing of upcoming tour dates right here.
