Sarah Reader’s three-part project will use the Triple Crown of open-water swimming to challenge stereotypes about who counts as an athlete.
The Story
A Vancouver filmmaker has begun production on a new three-part docuseries examining what it means to be an athlete, after receiving TELUS STORYHIVE funding to cover production costs.
Sarah Reader was selected by TELUS STORYHIVE for $20,000 and is producing “I AM an Athlete,” a project built around the experiences of Debbie Collingwood, who has completed marathon swimming’s Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming but still struggles with the idea of calling herself an athlete.
Reader first met Collingwood during a camping trip when Collingwood went swimming in the open ocean. Reader described being initially struck by how quietly the swim began and ended, saying Collingwood disappeared and then returned while visible in the water with a luminous cap and buoy.
The Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming consists of three endurance swims: the English Channel, a 33-kilometre route between England and France; the Catalina Channel, a 32.5-kilometre crossing between Catalina Island and the California mainland; and the 20 Bridges Swim, a 48.5-kilometre circumnavigation of Manhattan Island in New York City.
Reader said Collingwood’s achievement stood out not only for its difficulty but also for its apparent lack of spectacle, recalling that Collingwood “just did it without any fuss.” That spontaneous nature, Reader said, prompted her to seek out Collingwood’s story.
Collingwood remains in her 50s and, despite completing the Triple Crown, described never seeing herself as an athlete. In the project’s background, Reader recounted that she invited Collingwood for coffee to learn more about the swimmer’s accomplishments and her reluctance to embrace the label.
According to Reader, Collingwood told her a story about climbing a set of stairs with a colleague. After reaching the top and hearing that they were “completely fine,” the colleague’s comments reportedly included that Debbie was, in fact, an athlete—an exchange Collingwood said took her by surprise.
Reader said she was “taken back” by the gap between Collingwood’s endurance feats and her self-image, and she connected it to a broader challenge around perception and what she called the “classic athletic mould.” Reader framed the docuseries as an effort to help Collingwood believe she deserves the recognition associated with being an athlete.
Reader said the series is designed as “a celebration of achievement,” with the hope that Collingwood can accept and celebrate her athletic identity. She also suggested the project is meant to resonate with others who may feel held back by age or body type rather than by their capabilities.
The documentary is structured into three episodes, each focused on different aspects of Collingwood’s story. The first episode examines Collingwood’s past and present, including elements of her training partnership with Meyrick Jones.
The second episode broadens into the sport itself, exploring its knowledge and history and why older women can thrive in open-water marathon swimming. Reader described the sport as an unusual area where women often outperform men and where athletes may peak later in life.
The third episode turns to the swimming itself, focusing on what it takes to reach the Triple Crown and the steps of Collingwood’s journey to get there, as well as how her personal process intersects with the physical demands of long-distance open-water races.
Reader said the series is scheduled to begin production with a due date of December 2027. She described the project as her first solo documentary effort, after more than a decade working in film production.
Production on “I AM an Athlete” is intended to provide a narrative that aligns Collingwood’s endurance achievements with the recognition she says she has struggled to claim, while also emphasizing the possibility of athletic identity beyond conventional expectations.
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