The world’s fastest completely blind runner, David Brown, was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease as a toddler, which completely robbed him of his sight by the time he was 13.
Brown recalled “living in fear for several years” — until he found his passion for running. After winning an essay contest (one of 25 winners) and attending the 2008 games in Beijing, he instantly knew he wanted to compete himself. Soon after, he found a running guide to train with—and by 2014, he became the Paralympic champion and world-record holder as the only blind person ever to run the 100-meter in under 11 seconds.
A new 30-minute documentary film called “Untethered” tells the inspiring story of Brown’s unique brotherhood with his running guide Jerome Avery, while the two were ‘tethered’ in training for 15 years. Their inspiring story of companionship and enduring trust excel in the world of sport.
Brown said:
We’re like brothers. Our personalities just match. For some athletes, the relationship between the guide and runner is just professional but not for us.
Seven years ago, when Brown ran the world-record race with Avery, they were connected by an eight-inch cord. The new film reveals how that cord was reduced two-fold – to only four inches – as their trust and partnership evolved with almost perfect synchronicity. “When you see Avery and I run, it’s like one person,” added Brown. However, Brown became untethered to his trusted partner after Avery was injured in early 2021.
Untethered, written by award-winning creative director Andy Fackrell, was filmed in the run-up to the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, the first time Brown was ‘untethered’ from his long-time running companion.
Feliciano Robayna, Head of Sports Marketing for the Swiss company that made the film, On, said:
Being able to let go of all fears when deprived of sight and have faith in another human being, David puts his complete confidence in Avery and strives to live without restraint. I hope people can relate to Untethered when they see it and maybe even gain a greater understanding of Paralympic sport when they watch the competitions in Tokyo this year.
The film and its title are even more captivating, knowing that Avery did not run alongside Brown at the games on September 1 in Tokyo. Untethered features an interview with his mother, Francine Brown, who recounts a 500-word winning essay that allowed him to attend the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games —and drove his athletic career forward to the star sprinter he is today.
If you want to watch this inspiring film, you can view it at UntetheredFilm.com; or watch a teaser trailer video below.
