2012 London Olympics

Uploaded by Zach Smart | March 17, 2012

Who wants to see a REAL wrestling on TV? Help support this project, visit

http://www.indiegogo.com/ithaka

to see that the production of this gets finished. Here is some more info about it below:


"Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you are destined for.
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you are old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.
Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now."
C.P. Cavafy

The "marvelous journey" that Cavafy is speaking of in this poem is a beautiful and sometimes painful story. It is one that we are attempting to capture in all of its raw emotion and sheer power. The men of the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus, Ohio are on a mission to achieve Olympic and personal glory in this documentary series, full of human passion and emotion. The stories behind the individual journeys of these 8 men are incredible in terms of the scope of the dream they are all striving to achieve. The world of amateur wrestling, although foreign to most of the common public, is one of the most intense and grueling settings I have ever found myself in. While living with basically no financial assistance or public support these athletes have become some of the most elite on the planet. Constantly pushing, grinding, and reassuring themselves that it will all be worth it at the end of their journeys. They soldier on day after day towards something uncertain that they have believed in since they each were children, a desire most people on the planet can relate to.

We have brought a professional and creative eye to showcase not only the sport, but the personal lives of these competitors in a beautiful and compelling way in which it has never before been shown. We look to do the "reality" genre a favor by showcasing exactly that, the harshest realities that this world has to offer. The cast has already shown openness never before witnessed on the screen. There will be no staged drama or written lines, only the hearts and dreams of these men, on full display for the world to see in a four part hour long episodic series. Hinging on the desire, drive, and effort put in to be the very best at something, our production will be no different than the lives of the subjects we are following.

As a former wrestler I have always been a very firm believer in the importance of chasing your dreams and working your hardest to get where you need to be to achieve them. After graduating from Ohio University with a major in TV Production and minors in Film and Sociology I immediately entered the work force, trying to chase my dreams of becoming a filmmaker. I quickly realized that working for other peoples productions was not what I wanted to be doing. I also found myself becoming increasingly unhappy the longer that I found myself away from the sport of wrestling. I decided it was time to make a change and follow through with all of the beliefs that had been instilled in me by this wonderful sport. I had seen the sacrifice and dedication that the Ohio RTC athletes showcase day in and day out and was immediately inspired. I feel like every person on this planet has a dream at some point in their life and 99% of the population walk away from them for one reason or another. I have become tired of putting off my own dreams on account of people telling me this "is not how things work". I believe that, not unlike 'iron sharpening iron", passion sharpens passion and I cannot think of a more important journey than the one taken to chase down a dream. The greatest things I have learned about my true self in this world have come from the sport I love so dearly and I want nothing more than to share that gift (the journey of self discovery) with the rest of the world. You can become a part of the journey by helping us follow them through their Olympic dreams and sharing their stories with you. The support of this project is the support for every person chasing a dream, every person refusing to back down from adversity, and every person willing to fight and claw their way to their destiny. Become a part of history as these athletes attempt to win an unprecedented 6 Olympic gold medals in London this summer.