‘I Am Bolt’ will inspire through the ages, say fans

Many would have seen Usain Bolt’s rise to glory, but not his story. They would have seen him live the life, but are unaware of the sacrifices.

That would have all been changed by now following the Jamaican premiere of the documentary film I Am Bolt, which opens a window to a never-before-seen look at the life of the world’s fastest man.

The glitzy red carpet affair hosted by Digicel had the National Indoor Sports Centre buzzing with excitement on Tuesday, as a number of sports and entertainment celebrities converged for an exclusive look at the critically acclaimed film.

Among those in attendance were Prime Minister Andrew Holness and wife Juliet, as well as Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports Olivia Grange and other government officials and members of the diplomatic corps.

The movie, directed by English brothers Benjamin and Gabe Turner, which was first released last Monday in London, captures the career and chronicles the life of the nine-time Olympic gold medallist.

The film, which lasted approximately an hour and half, includes footage of Bolt’s numerous triumphs from the Beijing World Championships, Rio Olympics and London Olympics dates and back to his explosive 200m performance at the 2002 World Junior Championships in Kingston.

A few hair-raising scenes of his determination and hard work to defy numerous battles with injury were also highlighted in the story to inspire generations.

Though known for his smooth, charismatic and jovial personality on the track, Bolt told the Jamaica Observer that it was not the same when first adjusting to the cameras behind the scenes.

“For me the first two months were a little bit rough because I didn’t know the directors well at that time, so it took me a while to get close to them, but after that we kind of got used to each other and it kind of became fun… it was a lot of laughter and it was a great feeling,” the decorated athlete noted.

“For me this documentary means a great deal, because I really want people to see what my life is like and I think this is one way for people to see and understand what I went through over the years.

“The feedback has been good [and] I have gotten a lot of support, a lot of love… people have said a lot, so I am really happy with how it turned out and I am really happy that the producers came through for me,” he added.

Meanwhile, Olympian Hansel Parchment, who, along with Asafa Powell, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Warren Weir, Ristananna Tracey and Elaine Thompson, was out in support, believes the film will be a great source of motivation.

“It was really great and funny… I never expected a documentary to be this funny [as] most people thought it would just be running and not really him talking through his journey.

So I think it is pretty inspirational [and] they did a pretty good job in putting it together… people enjoyed it and we can really use it as something to keep us reminded that we can also do great things.

Usain is a down to earth, funny guy and that is what really drove the documentary, because it allowed fans to see what he is like outside of competition,” Parchment told the Jamaica Observer.

Other avid sports lovers and Bolt fans also welcomed the opportunity to get a peek into the life of the incomparable athlete outside of competition.

One such fan was Antoinette Phillips, who hailed the film as the clearest indication of what it takes to reap true success.

“What the movie did was to really show you how he did what he has accomplished, and a lot of people kind of thought that it was easy, but the movie kind of made us realise that it took a lot of hard work.

It basically just shows the human side of him, showing him in his natural state and preparing for these big events, so it was really good,” she said.

Rachel Christian echoed similar sentiments. “I thought the movie was excellent; it was very well produced and it gave a detailed cover of his whole life and experience on the road to being champion. I think it surpassed the expectations of many people; it is very inspirational and it is very good as Jamaicans to inspire other Jamaicans coming up. It was excellent,” she noted.

Dominic Allen lauded the documentary as another great achievement from the legendary athlete.

“He is a very tremendous guy who has been a huge motivation to a lot of Jamaicans and he will continue to contribute to Jamaica’s status around the globe as being the greatest.

I have always had faith in him; he is the greatest man alive and if there was any man that could pull this off, it is Usain Bolt,” a beaming Allen said.

For Chenee Russell, the documentary was an eye-opener that highlighted the best of both worlds in the life of a world-class athlete.

“I love Bolt [and] I think the movie was great. I think it captured his journey on the road to being a champion. It captured his determination, his competitive nature and his love for the sport, and that he is the greatest ever,” she stated. (Jamaica Observer)