A man on a mission

Alumnus produces film about local resident training for U.S. Olympic bicycling team

A new documentary follows a Harrisonburg native and seven athletes who trained for the U.S. Olympic Summer 2004 Athens biking team.

A film crew followed Jeremiah Bishop across the globe for six months in this independent film about eight U.S. professional mountain bikers. "Off Road to Athens" will premiere this Saturday at 4 p.m. in Grafton-Stovall Theatre.

Ken Bell (’92), the producer of "Off Road to Athens," said Bishop has the "most amazing story. Growing up without a father and washing dishes to earn money to buy his first bike, he certainly has come far."

In 2003, Bishop won the gold medal at the Pan American Games and, in 2004, he was the only American in three years to win at the National Off-Road Bicycle Association competition. Since 2001, Bishop has earned over 60 awards at various competitions.

Bishop’s fiancée, Erin North (’04), keeps a journal on Bishop’s Web site informing his fans of his progress. Although North is in the film, she isn’t the only JMU alumna associated with "Off Road to Athens." Haik Naltchayan (’94) produced the film’s score.

Bell says of the music, "As a viewer, we take you on a journey to all these countries, complete with music appropriate for each culture."

Creating the movie had its ups and downs, especially for Bell and his colleague Jason Berry, who worked with such a tight budget. The team slept on benches some nights instead of hotels. Bishop’s journey also was difficult, having never earned a spot on the Olympic team after he got a flat tire at a crucial point in a race.

"Off Road to Athens" will be released in select theaters in April.

"We shot over 100 hours of film and we got to pick the best of the best, and the story of the athletes is so amazing," Bell said.