As the Paralympic teams get ready to head down to Rio for the 2016 games, and USA1 Sonar is the team to beat after winning the World Championships in the Netherlands, the team at Racing to Rio is headed to our own finish line.
With multi-Emmy Award winning cinematographer Bill Mills behind the camera, we have amazing interviews with the USA1 Sonar team and footage of USA1 practicing with CAN1. We also have great interviews and footage with Warrior Sailing, Maureen McKinnon & Ryan Porteous (SKUD-18), the phenomenal Betsy Allison and so much more.
Now all we have left is to film a few more interviews and to purchase footage from several adaptive sailing events, then we are ready to send this to the editor to make movie magic. After that it’s titles, color correction, and music. Then we are off to festivals and distribution to share this great sport with the world.
However, we need your help to push Racing to Rio through the finish. We must raise a final $75,000 to complete this amazing movie – this is where you come in as a critical part of our winning team!
Please donate right now…don’t wait another minute – Help us over the finish line!
Racing to Rio is being produced by The Barbaro-Gould Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, so your donation to support this film is tax deductible as allowed.
Although it’s been a while, their food still lingers on our taste buds. The Barbaro-Gould Foundation would like to express its sincerest gratitude to Dean Herskowitz and everyone at Meze 119 for their catering support! The St. Petersburg community’s support means a lot to the crew of Racing To Rio, and thanks to Meze 119, we feel it even more. Their assistance shows us how united the Tampa Bay community is.
Racing To Rio seeks to not only tell the story of Clearwater hero, Brad Kendell, but also of the supportive communities standing behind him.
In addition to telling that story, the film also sets out to encompass humanity, sports, and art through its narrative. We were excited to know Meze 119 feels the same .
Located in St. Petersburg, Florida, Meze 119 (727-498-8627 ) is a vegetarian bistro with an emphasis on authentic middle eastern food. It also happens to be a Best of the Bay winner. The Barbaro-Gould Foundation thanks Meze 119 for the delicious meal they provided!
Sailing is an age-old sport and a pillar of human progress. People have been sailing since the beginning of time, both for necessity and for leisure. Advancements in travel and trade not only led to the honing of seafaring skills, but also to the development of great civilizations. Today, sailing is just as important as it always has been, and has even branched out into a sport by itself.
Sailboat racing started out as yacht racing in the 17th and 18th centuries, and has since then, extended to a variety of sub-categories, including Paralympic Sailing. Sailing became popular among disabled sailors in the 1980s and by 1988, the newly formed International Handicap Sailing Community (IHSC) started organizing competitions for the disabled. After sailing appeared as an exhibition sport in the 1990 World Games for the Disabled, the IHSC was recognized by the International Sailing Foundation and renamed the International Foundation for Disabled Sailors (IFDS). Paralympic Sailing then appeared in 1996 as a demonstration sport and by 2000, sailing became an official Paralympic sport. Twelve countries participated in the 1996 demonstration and seventeen countries participated in the official 2000 Sailing Paralympics.
Paralympic sailing is now famous on the world stage and maintains a reputation for being one of the few Paralympic sports that encompasses nearly all ranges of disabilities. It levels the playing field for all disabled sailors and even allows them to race with able-bodied sailors. Paralympic sailing is a sport embraced by sailors all over the world because of this. Racing To Rio seeks to depict this beloved aspect of Paralympic sailing one final time as it films Sonar Team USA 1 and the challenges and victories of its members as they reach for the Rio 2016 Paralympics.
In a decision that upset sailors world-wide, the International Paralympic Committee elected to officially remove sailing from the 2020 Paralympics. This decision may cement the Rio 2016 Paralympics as the final Paralympic sailing games in history. Team USA1 recognizes that 2016 may be its final opportunity to compete in the sailing Paralympics and win a gold medal for the U.S. The question of “what comes next?” looms over the minds of every Paralympic sailor as they prepare for what could be the most competitive Paralympic sailing game of their lives.
Racing To Rio will raise awareness for the importance of Paralympic sailing on both the local and international stage. It is the crew’s goal to show the world what an impact Paralympic Sailing has had on the lives of its participants and supporters, as well as those around them. If that goal is reached, then maybe, just maybe, the story of Paralympic Sailing will not end in 2016.
Racing To Rio needs your support! Donate now at racing2rio.com.
Donations can also be mailed to:
The Barbaro-Gould Foundation, Inc.
1211 Hamlet Avenue, Studio D
Clearwater, Florida 33756
Corporate sponsorships are also available—for more information, please contact Jennifer Barbaro or Todd Gould at 727-487-2148 or email to .
Ken Hamilton & The Palm Pavilion have just made a very generous donation to assist us in feeding the crew during our filming the next few weeks.
Please thank Ken by visiting his restaurant, The Palm Pavilion, at 10 Bay Esplanade, Clearwater Beach, FL. They are having a huge Stone Crab Festival this weekend…
Now it’s your turn: Support Racing to Rio like Ken by donating today!
@VSPC @MyClearwater @ClearwaterArea The camera is almost ready to roll on #Racing2Rio the Movie featuring Paralympic Sailor Brad Kendell and Tampa Area based sailing & leadership camps for individuals affected by challenges. As the days draw closer, the Barbaro-Gould Foundation looks to other accommodations for its crew and cast. We are now on the search for #restaurants, #supermarkets, and food services that can provide food, drink, and craft services for the team.
A healthy production is a successful production and like its response to all available help, the crew of Racing To Rio welcomes any craft service (meal, snacks, water, drinks) donations!
If you want to be a VIP Sponsor for Racing to Rio, including Executive Producer credits, you cannot miss this #R2R VIP event at the Lobster Pot Bistro in Clearwater Beach on September 1. Come meet Brad in person, find out how to be part of this incredible project. Only a limited number of VIP sponsorships are available.
Fran Bartlett, proprietor and restaurateur extraordinaire, has graciously made her facility available for this event. (You should also check out her new restaurant: Cocina Aqui Southwest Restaurant & Tequila Bar – Yum!)
RSVP is mandatory for this event. Please contact Jennifer if you wish to attend.
Racing to Rio is far more than the journey of a few elite athletes striving for world records, gold medals and personal bests. Racing to Rio is the story of transformation from individuals overcoming personal challenges to become world-class sailors and heroes who inspire others to face their challenges and live life to the fullest through the sport of sailing. Racing to Rio is literally about Brad Kendell's journey to the Paralympics in Rio 2016, but also serves on a larger scale as a metaphor for all people who face challenges and how they can take on life to win their own "races" by being the best they can be.
Now all we have left is to film a few more interviews and to purchase footage from several adaptive sailing events, then we are ready to send this to the editor to make movie magic. After that it’s titles, color correction, and music. Then we are off to festivals and distribution to share this great sport with the world.
