Born Racer, a gripping and emotional documentary, is set to premiere on the 30th June
2023 on Supersport. The film is an honest chronicle of the life of Chad Le Clos as a
professional swimmer who has overcome tremendous obstacles in his pursuit of excellence
in the swimming world. As a heart-warming protagonist, Le Clos’ deep familial ties and his
widely recognised down to earth personality are sentient elements that power the story to
extraordinary depths.
Collective memory will have the world reminiscing on the 31st of July 2012 when 19 year
old Chad le Clos stunned the swimming world by beating the greatest swimmer of all time
at the London Olympics. The young upstart toppled American Michael Phelps at a race
he had not lost in over a decade: The 200m Fly. With a gold medal around his neck, Chad
became a household name in South Africa and in the global swimming community, for a
moment in time he had everything he thought he needed.
The arc of the film hones in on how the high of being an award-winning global star was
succeeded by a downward trend of Olympic disappointment, including losing out on
gold in Rio and Tokyo Olympics. In its deeply personal treatment, Born Racer sees Le Clos
in contemplation of the meaning and the pursuit of happiness. The documentary explores
the conflict that arises from an athlete’s deep connection to the prized Olympic gold,
chasing the feeling of fan adoration he so desperately craved as well as the coming
down when accolades cease. How does a top athlete deal with a new era when their
performance does not match their expectations?
Born Racer offers an intimate and unflinching look into the life of Chad, who has
dedicated his entire life to swimming. Through deeply personal and intimate conversations
with Chad, his family and his inner team, Born Racer spends four years documenting the
reality of life for an Olympic Champion – from the United Kingdom to Turkey, Australia to
Germany the Middle East to Japan, through a global pandemic, multiple world sporting
events and over 60 hours of family VHS footage. This is an honest story that goes to the
depths of Chad’s past, his family’s humble roots and ultimately shows us what it takes to
find success as a South African in the modern sports world where the resource divide
grows wider and wider every year.
A joint venture between Le Clos and Cape Town studio Fell & Company, Born Racer goes
beyond the physical aspects of Chad’s journey. The film punctuates the emotional toll that
comes with being a professional athlete, including the sacrifices he has made in his
personal life, the pressures of competition in a highly adrenalized sport. Born Racer is an
inspirational piece that observes a man’s rise from rock bottom to picking himself up in
order to continue striving for success albeit meaningfully.
“This was not the film that I expected back in 2018 when we started!” says Le Clos. ” “Whilst
the film shows the sacrifices and struggles that many professional athletes like me go
through, it chronicles some of the most difficult times in my career, when I was lost,
depressed but still giving it my all. I hope it shows what resilience and redemption looks
like, particularly with the incredible support of my family. I hope it can inspire the next
generation of South African swimmers to train hard, set their own goals and beat my
records! I also think that Born Racer celebrates our resilience as a nation.”, he adds.
Born Racer is expected to captivate audiences with its powerful narrative, stunning visuals,
and emotional depth. It will be shown on Supersport in June.
For more information, please contact Capacity Relations: