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Synopsis

This feature documentary captures triathlete Andrew Johnston living and competing with
cancer as he endures the rigors of training on the road to the most celebrated triathlon in
the world, the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii.

The morning after assuming he qualified for Kona at the 2006 Coeur d'Alene Ironman in Idaho,
Drew hobbled to the slot distribution tent for confirmation. Coeur d'Alene had seen the second
highest number of Did Not Finish's of any Ironman ever with the heat and wind forcing nearly
300 entrants to abandon their dreams of earning a ticket to the Big Show. His wife, Diana,
supported his wrecked body as a mass of people swarmed around the tent. Drew slowly weeded
his way through the crowd of athletes looking for their names and found the 30-34 age group
list. The top eight men were highlighted. He was ninth.

In elementary school Drew needed his classmates to lift him up to drink from the water
fountain, but on the playground nobody stood taller. Even the school bullies learned their
lesson when this feisty runt delivered a few bloody noses. By high school Drew had joined a
tight circle of soccer jocks bound by humor and athleticism. Two of them introduced Drew to
cycling, selling him an old Schwinn a few sizes too big. Barely reaching the pedals, his first
ride started him down a road which was destined to be different.

During his senior year, Drew found himself with more women than a man knows how to
handle; one. Diana had been his secret crush since sixth grade, and from the moment they
started dating, Drew knew they would marry. In 1996 they tied the knot, and Drew's pro cycling
ambitions moved them both to Europe, far from friends,family, and anything familiar. The
European circuit taught Drew some harsh lessons over the next few years. After a series of
crash-related concussions, the last of which left Drew with slurred speech for two frightening
weeks, Diana demanded he set his bke down for good. An athlete herself, she introduced Drew
to swimming, and once he got past the point where he was not going to drown, Drew convinced
Diana to let him try triathlon. In his head, he had already dreamed of the Ironman.

In late summer 2004, during a routine exam Drew and Diana received troubling news. Blood work
from Drew's physical revealed white blood cells ten times the normal limit. A barrage of lab work
and doctor appointments led them to the frightening diagnosis. Drew had Chronic Myelogenous
Leukemia, a virulent blood disorder. New medicines, chemo treatments, and bone marrow biopsies
caused swelling in his limbs, debilitating muscle cramps, and intense joint and bone pain. Drew
now faced the most difficult competition of his life. Even the windswept cobbles of Europe could
not compare with the emotional road he now traveled, as his worsening physical condition
threatened to end more than his competitive career. Yet, despite the odds, he would eventually
return to the one thing by which he defined himself-exercise.

This past May, a few weeks before Ironman Coeur d’ Alene, Drew and Diana celebrated the
results of a new lab test. Drew was in molecular remission. Leukemia did not prevent him from
entering or finishing the race, but limited slots blocked his chance to complete his dream in Kona.
At the awards ceremony, Drew, surrounded by friends and family, anxiously awaited the slot roll-
down. When the announcer reached his age group, Drew tightened his grip on his wife's hand.
The announcer called the names of the top eight finishers then informed the crowd that one
athlete had already qualified in a previous race. There was room for one more triathlete. An
eruption of cheers almost drowned out the name, Andrew Johnston!

This feature documentary explores the amazing story of an elite athlete determined to survive
and thrive. Through training and race footage, interviews with friends, family, and doctors, as
well as still photography, this film will inspire others to exceed their own limitations. Most
importantly, it will allow Drew to share his experiences and prove that living really is winning.