“Godspeed” is a documentary about two Colorado natives who participated in a cycling race in 2015 in which they rode across the nation in just one week. The premier will be on August 1 in Littleton at 6:00PM.
Jerry Schemmel and Brad Cooper are not going to be found on ESPN or the cover of any major magazines, but they are without a doubt some of the most impressive athletes on this planet.
The race went across 12 states and and was over 3,000 miles. It began in Oceanside, Calif. and ended in Annapolis, Md. It is known as one of the toughest bike races in the world. With a crew consisting of a follow car and an RV full of people, they took on the toughest aspects of nature and pushed the human body to its max.
They had to endure 122 degree heat and experience lows of 47 degrees. They also climbed a total 171,000 vertical feet throughout the entirety of the race.
They rode through the treacherous southern Colorado mountains, where they would reach their highest elevation of the race at 10,857 feet. It was a special moment for both riders as they are both from Colorado. Schemmel’s family met him in Trinidad and would stay with him until Kansas before heading back home.
Going through the midwest, the crew hit rain for all hours of the day. Even with 30 mph winds and what seemed like sideways rain, the riders kept on pushing till the end.
They were not just riding for themselves or their family; they we riding to raise money to build a school in Haiti.
They wound up winning the race with an overall time of 7 days 14 hours 51 minutes.
These two riders embody what an athlete should be and this story and movie is a must-see for everyone.