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HIGH HURDLES
THE SERIES
High Hurdles is a six-part documentary series following the lives of Paralympic athletes aspiring to make the U.S. Paralympic team and compete in the upcoming 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, France.
The Paralympic Games is the pinnacle of competition for athletes with a range of disabilities, drawing thousands of competitors from over 100 countries. As is the case with the Olympics, the Paralympic Games are held every four years. The use of the prefix “Para” signifies that it takes place in parallel to the Olympic Games, and it is held in the same venue as the Olympics. And, as is the case with the Olympics, the highest achievement in any Paralympic Games event is the coveted gold medal.
High Hurdles follows our athletes in the months leading up the 2024 Paralympic Games, through the local meets and National Paralympic Trials, and ultimately through to the conclusion of their performances at the 2024 Paralympic Games.
The life of a world-class para-athlete is nothing short of taxing. Combine constant training with life’s other demands, such as family and work, and it can be a huge balancing act. High Hurdles will provide an unfiltered window into the lives, emotions, and journeys of these athletes pursuing their own greatest goals…a Paralympic gold in Paris, France.
Four athletes. One Dream. The 2024 Paralympic Games.
“I want to build my legacy.”
DEJA YOUNG | 100M + 200M | ONE-TIME PARALYMPIAN
THE CHARACTERS
Max Rohn, age 25, is a Navy Corpsman who, while on duty in Afghanistan, lost his leg after an RKG grenade hit the armored vehicle he was riding in. After enduring an agonizing rehabilitation phase at Walter Reed Hospital and bouts of hopelessness regarding his future, Max discovered that competition in track and field could provide a new path for his life. Since then, he has had one goal…make it to the Paralympic Games.
Max Rohn, age 25, is a Navy Corpsman who, while on duty in Afghanistan, lost his leg after an RKG grenade hit the armored vehicle he was riding in. After enduring an agonizing rehabilitation phase at Walter Reed Hospital and bouts of hopelessness regarding his future, Max discovered that competition in track and field could provide a new path for his life. Since then, he has had one goal…make it to the Paralympic Games.
Deja Young, age 23, is a world record holder and two-time Paralympic gold medal-winner in the 100m and 200m. While she suffers limited shoulder mobility and muscular development from an injury sustained at birth, Deja’s life struggle has been with clinical depression. In 2016, she attempted suicide. It’s a battle she has fought to defeat for years. Competing helps her fight. Running gives her peace. And while her immediate mission is to pull more golds in the Paralympic Games, her life’s goal is to be a light to others in need.
Lex Gillette, age 35, is a legend of Paralympic sport. He is a four-time Paralympian and has four silver medals under his belt - one for each Paralympic Games he competed in. On top of his accomplishments on the track, he is internationally renowned as a motivational speaker, delivering a Ted Talk on the matter of sports, attitude, and perseverance through adversity. And Lex knows a lot about adversity. At the age of eight, his retinas became detached and he subsequently lost his sight. After battling through an intense process of adapting to his new life, he chose to pursue track and field, and has become a beacon to those who refuse to allow challenges to limit them. Still, with all that he has done on and off the track, one thing is missing…gold. He has never won a gold medal in the Paralympics, and that’s where his focus is firmly set.
Cheri Madsen, age 43, is a master of the balancing act. She’s a busy mom with two teenaged girl student-athletes, and a world-class wheelchair racer with eight Paralympic medals hanging from her neck (two gold, four silver, two bronze). At the age of three, Cheri was left paralyzed by a virus. She learned to adapt, and found sports to be a place where she could express herself. She grew to be a force in the wheelchair racing world, until in 2013, after years of success in the sport, she retired. However, after a tragic accident killed her younger brother and father, Cheri decided to return to the sport in their honor. Now, her goal is clear…qualify for Team USA and get back on the podium.
“Sports saved my life.”
MAX ROHN | JAVELIN + DISCUS | PARALYMPIC HOPEFUL
THE TEAM
THE CREATIVE TEAM BEHIND HIGH HURDLES IS A DEEPLY QUALIFIED GROUP OF EXPERIENCED CREATIVES AND SPORTS PROFESSIONALS WHO SHARE AN INTENSE PASSION FOR TELLING INSPIRING STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE PUSHING FOR THEIR DREAMS.
THE MARCS
The Marcs is a turn-key documentary and commercial production company that brings character-driven content to global audiences.
As content creators, The Marcs has an extensive portfolio in unscripted content. They have been nominated for two Emmys (NFL Network’s original documentary series, Undrafted), two Webby Awards (documentary work for Red Bull Media House), and garnered millions of views on television and OTT platforms.
Founded by Directing and Executive Producing duo Marc Levy + Marc Salomon, and bolstered by Head of Development and Producer, Evan Fontaine, The Marcs commits itself to impassioned storytelling.
We believe in the power of the human spirit. We believe in the power of dreams.
We believe in the power of stories. We are The Marcs.
AUSTIN MEDIA GROUP
AMG creates and produces unscripted and scripted content for television, film, and OTT platforms and is the co-creator of NFL Network’s Emmy-nominated original documentary series, Undrafted. In addition, AMG’s founder, Stephen Austin, has a long history working at the highest level of sports. Among his rich background, he was the brain and facilitator behind the NFL Super Regional Combine system, which helped evaluate NFL hopefuls.
AMG is dedicated to diversity and endeavors to capture stories about life that bring diverse groups together. Through the universal truths and commonalities of the human experience, AMG content shows how diversity engenders surprising benefits for everyone – including creativity. And, as artists, why would we paint a picture with only one color?
CATHY SELLERS
Cathy Sellers was the Director of Paralympic Track and Field for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee from 2008 to 2017. Cathy was a track and field coach for over 40 years at multiple levels- High School level, Collegiate level (Stephen F. Austin State and The Ohio State University) and the pinnacle, Team USA. The Rio Paralympic track and field team garnered 43 medals, more than any sport in Olympics or Paralympics since 1972. Cathy is a believer in the power of sport to transform people, and to her, Paralympics is the most important program in the World for empowering people, giving hope to those recently injured or to their parents and changing perceptions.
Now, in her role as one of the executive producers of High Hurdles, Cathy brings the know-how, knowledge, credibility, and vast network of resources she’s earned over the course of decades to help realize the full potential of the series.
“You push in a race and you push in life.”
CHERI MADSEN | WHEELCHAIR RACING | THREE-TIME PARALYMPIAN
CONTACT US
To learn more about High Hurdles, or to discuss partnership opportunities, please reach out to us:
info@themarcs.com
“Sight shows you what is,
but vision shows you what can be.”
LEX GILLETTE | LONG JUMP | FOUR-TIME PARALYMPIAN