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Camera people with a lot of years and like many people in the media business, especially the ones who have been around the world , are fairly cynical. They’ve seen a lot and they’ve heard a lot. It’s the “been there, done that” mentality. However, I was surprised at how quickly the camera people and their assistants became involved with the triabetes athletes the day of the race. While reviewing the footage before editing, I could hear one cameraman as he looked through the viewfinder of his camera say as he composed a wide shot of the beginning of the swim, “This is so f***** cool!” In all honesty, that never happens.

Another camera person who had done some marathons would give encouragement as the athletes passed. “You look good.” Or if they were struggling, he’d say, “Stay strong.” Cameramen usually don’t get too involved with the action, and I don’t know if it really made a difference to the athletes, but it seemed to make a difference for the camera man. He contacted me a couple days after the race to see if all the athletes were doing okay. Again, in all honesty, that never happens.

Thankfully, the conditions were perfect: no rain, mid-70s, nice day. Nonetheless, it was grueling, demanding, and exhausting day for the crew. From start to finish, it was 19 hours with a camera running and gunning. As I watched the race finishes with the athletes and the camera crews, the announcer blared over the loudspeaker the name of the athlete and where they are from ending with the phrase “You ARE an Ironman.” For example “Anne Findlay, from San Francisco, you ARE an Ironman.” (Ironman is not gender specific.) It was an incredible moment for anyone standing near the finish line. The camera crews captured every moment until the last athlete crosses the finish line.

For that day, there is virtually no difference between the camera people and the athletes. The emotion and concentration take the same path. The camera crews had to remain focused while running with the athletes, carrying a camera and keeping it in focus, with a correct iris, and maintaining good composition. If you shoot any kind of sports, you know what it’s like. This is tough stuff.
So to Ray, Carl, Dave, Tim, Shawn, Josh, Aaron, I say, “You ARE an Ironman.” Thanks for the great footage and understanding the story.