Personal Gold: An Underdog Story
USA | 2015 | 89 minutes | Tamara Christopherson
This doc about one of the greatest Olympic underdog stories, shows how four women cyclists emerged from the cloud surrounding the Lance Armstrong scandal to become America's most unlikely medal hopefuls at the 2012 London Games. Director Tamara Christopherson and producer Sky Christopherson scheduled to attend.
The year 2012 is one many American cycling enthusiasts would rather forget. That was the year the blood-doping scandal enveloped erstwhile hero Lance Armstrong, forcing him to retire from cycling in disgrace and his former teammates to withdraw from that year’s Summer Olympic Games in London. Amid this controversy, however, there was the nearly forgotten Women’s Track Cycling team that picked up the fallen baton for their country, seeking to become the first U.S. team to earn a Women's Track Cycling medal in more than 20 years. This inspiring documentary, directed by Tamara Christopherson (herself a former Olympic athlete) tells the story of four athletes – Dotsie Bausch, Sarah Hammer, Lauren Tamayo and Kirkland, WA native Jennie Reed – who sought glory despite being abandoned by sponsors, who had recoiled from the doping scandals. Their secret weapon, however, was a training technique, dubbed “Data not Doping,” which monitored the athletes’ glucose levels and sleep patterns to determine peak performance. In a story that has been compared to Rocky and Moneyball, as well as to the real-life “Miracle on Ice” 1980 men’s hockey team, Personal Gold will have you standing in the aisles to cheer on these courageous athletes, held together by little more than blood, sweat, tears – and spandex.
Director Biography
Tamara Christopherson was an Olympic American sprint canoer who competed in the Summer Olympics in Sydney in 2000. In 2010 she started her film career as an extra in the drama feature, The Greater Meaning of Water. Personal Gold: An Underdog Story is her first director credit.
Schedule
May 16, 2015
SIFF Cinema Uptown Festival 12:00 PMDate has passed
Director Tamara Christopherson, Producer Sky Christopherson scheduled to attend
May 19, 2015
AMC Pacific Place 11 7:00 PMDate has passed
Director Tamara Christopherson, Producer Sky Christopherson scheduled to attend
Sponsored by 4Culture, Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Washington State Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts, CityArts
Director:Tamara Christopherson
Principal Cast:Jennie Reed, Dotsie Bausch, Sarah Hammer, Lance Armstrong, Eric Topol
Country:USA
Year:2015
Running Time:89 minutes
Official SIFF website here: http://www.siff.net/festival-2015/personal-gold-an-underdog-story
