Any competitor who embarks on the long journey of participating in multiple triathlon deserves credit for their physical tenacity and endurance. But Drew Hunthausen, a blind and partially deaf triathlete, is one of the world’s most inspirational sportsmen. He has proven his ultimate perseverance and dedicated commitment to his love of sports by refusing to let his disability stand in his way of achieving his goals in any competition.
The triathlete’s compelling story of persistence is being brought to the screen in the new docu-short, ‘Drew Hunthausen.’ The film, which was produced by Campsite Media House, showcases how he participated in the Herbalife24 Triathlon Los Angeles this summer. As a moving character study, the movie highlights how the triathlete is a man who refuses to make excuses for what happens in his life. Upon meeting Hunthausen, the executives of Herbalife Nutrition instantly knew they wanted to tell his story as a branded short film.
At age 11, the triathlete contracted bacterial meningitis. After he was in a coma for three months, Hunthausen woke up blind and hearing impaired. His courage for life led him to the sport of triathlon. He’s completed over ten triathlons, several long open water swims and 100-mile bike rides.
“Some of the excuses they have been making have been unconscious ones that have been holding them back and keeping them from being the person that they really want to be,” Hunthausen has said about those people who find his story inspiring or meaningful. “Hearing my message and hearing the things I’ve been through has kind of unlocked their own lives.”
‘Drew Hunthausen’ was directed and produced by Logan Hendricks, executive produced by Dave Paine, shot by cinematographer Kyle Clark, animated by Rusty Yunusoff and edited by Nicole Lana of Campsite Media House. “We saw this as an opportunity to create a portrait of a man who refuses to let his disability become an excuse for not
living his life to the fullest,” Hendricks said. “Drew is such a unique human being. Trying to imagine and visualize life as Drew views the world was both a privilege and a challenge.”
The documentary also shows the triathelete at home in Westminster, California, as he wished that he was “still able to see my family…it would mean a lot to me to see the people who have been the most impactful and supportive in my whole life.”