Help us finish our Documentary about Peter

We’re raising money to finish our documentary about Peter Callahan and Coach McHugh's journey to try to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics!

It's a film about what it takes to accomplish incredible things, and the tenacity and resilience required to pursue your dreams. But we need your help to finish filming it!

As a sub-four-minute miler, Peter runs at speeds few people can achieve. In fact, more people have climbed Mount Everest than run a mile in under four minutes! But to make it to the Tokyo Olympics Peter will have to run faster than he's ever run in his life. To get him there, Peter turned to his former high school coach, Patrick McHugh, but along the way, they must overcome obstacles and setbacks they never could have predicted, from a battle with cancer to a global pandemic. 

As a North Shore "lifer," it's hard to imagine a more personal film. I had Patrick McHugh as a coach myself, and I'm making this documentary with my high-school friend and now professional collaborator, Matt Downe. I am constantly reminded of how fortunate I was to go to such an amazing school with incredibly dedicated educators and such a supportive community surrounding it!

ABOUT THE PROJECT

Hi! I'm Ben Kegan, an NSCDS alumn, and documentary filmmaker. My films have played at festivals like SXSW, TriBeCa, the Chicago International Film Festival, and more.

Several years ago, Matt Downe (also an NSCDS alumn, Producer, and Managing Director at Chicago's KWILL studios) and I started filming a documentary about Peter and Coach McHugh's pursuit of qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics.

Shortly after we started filming, Patrick McHugh was diagnosed with cancer. The University of Chicago Hospital, along with Patrick, granted us intimate access to film his entire treatment process. I'm grateful to have witnessed the heartwarming and remarkable support Peter and Coach McHugh provided to each other as they fought to achieve their goals.

As if battling and beating cancer wasn't enough, COVID 19 came and changed the world. The Olympics were postponed, track meets and sporting events were canceled, and the simple act of breathing became both a fearful vector of transmission and a precious gift that this illness took away from so many.  

What has emerged over the years of filming is less a film about a specific sport than a movie about what it means to dedicate yourself completely to a dream.

WHY WE'RE RAISING MONEY

We're raising money so we can complete post-production and release the film! 

We're asking for help to raise the money we need to put the finishing touches on the film (sound design, color correction, original music, etc) and get it out into the world!

**disclaimer: no raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or promotions are offered in exchange for any donations made to your GoFundMe.