By: Hope Wilkos, Writer
We are counting down to one of the most glorious and monumental events in sports history, the time when athletes know that they have reached the pinnacle of success. The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games are set to begin on August 5, 2016, just over a month away. This is the culmination of a lifetime of hard work and enormous sacrifice.
Bringing this experience to life through film, United Airlines and Tribeca Digital Studios are teaming up for an exclusive documentary that has created quite a stir. The name of this film is “Destination: Team USA.” On June 23, 2016, passengers flying on United Flight 408, going from Newark Liberty Airport to Chicago O’Hare Airport, were treated to the very first screening of the premiere of this touching documentary. An even greater surprise was finding out that the director of the film, Adam Hootnick, Team USA hopeful Dartanyon Crockett and a number of Tribeca producers were also on board. This made the whole flight even more surreal. During the viewing of the documentary film, passengers received Team USA branded amenity tins, Tribeca Film Festival gear and Garrett popcorn to enjoy with the show.
This film focuses on five athletes in particular, for who the opportunity to represent the United States in Brazil means overcoming not only their opponents on the road to Rio, but also overwhelming personal odds. We feel the emotion and the determination.
The documentary captures their captivating stories in Destination: Team USA, the first feature film ever commissioned by a U.S. airline. Destination: Team USA follows:
- Marathoner and 37-year-old single mom Andrea Duke on her final shot at competing on the world stage,
- Legally blind Paralympic judo wrestler Dartanyon Crockett as he overcomes a difficult childhood in Cleveland’s housing projects,
- Diver Abby Johnston as she balances medical school with her gold-medal dream
- Muhammad as she fights to shatter stereotypes as the first Muslim woman to compete for the United States as a saber fencer, and
- Boxer and comedian Cam F. Awesome as he battles with himself and his opponents.
“This documentary chronicles the intense training, the focus and the incredible commitment of these athletes as they travel the world with the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in their sights,” said Thomas F. O’Toole, United senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “All of us at United are proud of the role we play helping the athletes pursue their dreams to be the best, and through this innovative partnership with Team USA and Tribeca Film Festival, customers are invited to experience these stories onboard their next flight.”
“I am thrilled to be taking part in my first in-flight premiere – and possibly the first in-flight premiere! – for Destination: Team USA,” director Adam Hootnick said. “Since our film documents the extraordinary lengths and distances to which these athletes go for their
shot at Team USA, I feel it’s somehow appropriate that our film will be seen for the first time by an audience in the middle of a journey of their own.”
The year 2016 holds plenty of significance for United Airlines. This year marks 35 years that United has been the official airline of Team USA, as well as being one of the Tribeca Film Festival sponsors for the third big year.
An exciting sequence of events will follow. United has also joined with Coca-Cola to bring Destination: Team USA to theaters near each of the airline’s mainland U.S. hub airports. Beginning on June 27, United employees can attend screenings in Chicago; Staten Island, New York; Rolling Hills Estates, California; Golden, Colorado; Houston; Ashburn, Virginia; and Dublin, California. Then, the film will be widely available for inflight viewing beginning July 1 as part of United Private Screening and the trailer is available online on the United Hub.
Team USA are all winners even before they hit the ground in Rio and this documentary just proves it. Best of luck to an outstanding team of athletes thrilled to be part of the chosen best.
Photo Credit: Tribeca Digital Studios
