Racing the Storm
Returning as the defending champions of the Master’s League at the US Adventure Racing National Championships,
Team Odyssey sets out on the thirty hour race while facing ruthless weather conditions.
TRAILER COMING SOON
Director of Photography
“Adventure racers often say that you’ll never understand what they do until you do it yourself. I took that as a challenge, setting the goal of giving the audience an experience as close to an actual adventure race as possible. With cameras down on the ground and in the mud with the athletes to expose the grit and determination it takes to race nonstop for thirty hours in the wilderness, “Racing the Storm” offers a human story of endurance and perseverance that follows a seemingly superhuman team.
By far, our crew’s biggest challenge in documenting the race was dealing with the constant wind and rain brought on by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. The extreme weather conditions forced our crew to sacrifice some tools we often take for granted such as full access to camera controls or a clear view of the images we were capturing, yet it felt fitting for our crew to fight through the same forces of nature as the athletes.
The challenges that our crew faced in the process of making “Racing the Storm” taught me a great deal about filmmaking in the outdoors. I hope that those who watch will learn a bit more about both the sport of Adventure Racing and the amazing strength of the human spirit.”
- Jack Knellinger (director’s statement)
The film is currently screening at festivals and is not available for public release.
Senior Thesis Capstone Project
The Ohio State University
Adventure Racing Documentary (21:01)
Directed by:
Jack Knellinger
Featuring:
Eric Olsen
Ronny Angell
Sara Dallman
Directors of Photography:
Clay Kessler
Jack Knellinger
Camera Assistant, DIT, Photographer, Audio:
Wyatt Downey
Shot with Sony FX3s
Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro
Film completed April, 2025
Edited with Adobe Premiere Pro
Film completed April, 2025