Superstar athlete Chad Le Clos is ready for the 2024 Olympics
First off, let’s be honest, not many of us will get the privilege of having our journey (be in life, career, etc.) turned into a documentary - and an entertaining one at that. If you’re lucky you might get a wikipedia article and a pat on the back.
No, your story, your mission, your raison d’etre has to be so significant that millions of people will sit up and take notice. so then, what luck we have that Chad Le Clos’ film dedicated to his inimitable journey is both captivating and enlightening. I say luck, but that concept - in the world of Olympic champions - might be a subject on par with religion. Let’s say then, it was...inevitable. A man this talented and competitive was always bound, destined to have a story to tell. I am glad he did.
It’s the overpowering sense of love that first grabs your attention Chad’s documentary is as much a view into the complexities of being an Olympic athlete as it is an homage to familial support. Born Racer started as a passion project and provides viewers with a glimpse into the tumultuous journey that comes with being a professional swimmer.
After gaining the world’s attention at the 2012 London Olympics, Chad has built a career and a brand that resonates with the ultra-ambitious. I mean, the simple act of beating your hero, (the legendary Michael Phelps) at their own game is a tale worth a thousand documentaries. This one, then, pulls back the curtain on some truly impressive moments – kicking off with the above-mentioned, much-admired 200-metre butterfly race.
This is not a film review and I obviously won’t unveil any spoilers. What I can reveal, however, is that the documentary has been in the works for quite some time. Planning started in 2019 and despite the pandemic throwing a rather massive spanner in the works, Chad and his team persevered with filming. Sure, out of necessity some scenes in 2020 were self-shot but for the majority of the project Chad and his crew were a package deal.
‘Essentially, a film crew followed me around for four years to document my life both professionally and personally,’ he says, ‘it wasn’t always the easiest process, but a big thank you to Fell and Company for the amazing work.’ The project was led by Greg Fell and Andrew King.
A charming aspect they chose to focus on during filming was the ever present support of Chad’s father, Bert. ‘He’s been my biggest supporter from day one. What you see in the documentary is not the full story – in reality he’s even more supportive to me and my siblings.’ This is evident simply in the way Bert talks about his son – almost reverently. It’s refreshing to see such a close father-son relationship. ‘He loves his family more than anything and without a doubt he’s the best dad to ever grace this earth,’ says Chad.
The storyline, however, includes moments where Bert’s support kept him afloat. Like any documentary worth its salt, there are some emotional scenes that serve to prove the protagonist’s sheer determination. They go in-depth on certain momentous career events that any experienced athlete would find challenging to relive.
He mentions the 200- metre butterfly at the 2016 Rio Olympics (where he came fourth as a defending champion) as being especially tough to revisit. ‘I couldn’t find positives from 2016. I couldn’t do it,’ he’s seen saying in the documentary.
‘So too was losing the Commonwealth Games last year, where it was certain that I would’ve won a few gold medals,’ he tells me. He ended the event with a silver medal in the 200-metre butterfly final with a time of 1:55.89 – around three seconds slower than his 2012 Olympics results. In this field, that’s an eternity.
Even after being honoured with bearing the flag at the 2021 opening ceremony, Chad says Japan isn’t a memory he likes to dwell on either. ‘Watching me miss the podium for the first time in 11 years at the Tokyo Olympics was a bitter pill to swallow.’
Despite the journey of a champion being filled with extreme highs and severe lows, the 31-year- old says he has a mindset that’s allowed him to roll with the punches. Don’t think it’s always been that easy, though. ‘I made many sacrifices. I never had much of a social life and rarely celebrated birthdays since I was travelling and racing a lot,’ he says. From an early age, Chad has been travelling to competitions on an almost constant basis. It’s fair to say the 2010 Commonwealth Games was the start of it all, winning five medals (two gold) and kick-starting his career as a professional athlete.
‘The biggest sacrifice, however, was leaving the country to train abroad, simply because of the lack of facilities and professionalism within the industry here in South Africa.’ In 2020, the South African government implemented some rather harsh rules in an effort to curb the spread of Covid. Chad lost out on crucial training opportunities which consequently led to a poor performance in Tokyo.
‘Every week is important to me, every month is important to me. So when you throw me out of the mix and you give me five months of zero training, everything that I’ve been working on, the structures around me that were put in place for me to succeed were not there,’ he says. ‘Think about that for one sec. I’ve been training for three and a half years. I’ve been preparing myself to win back that gold medal in 2020. It fucks you up a bit, right? It puts you in a weird place.’
As viewers we see the importance of mental health in the sport industry being highlighted through this story. ‘My sports psychologist said that my results in the pool premeditated my happiness, which is a very dangerous thing,’ Chad says in the film.
‘The biggest mistake I made was not receiving help earlier, simply because of the stigma that if you’re struggling with mental health, you’re weak. I was fighting many demons on my journey and I’m thankful to have come out the other side.
‘From a young age I understood that pressure was part of the game and I think I became “used to it” if I can even say that.’ Throughout the documentary, the immense pressure that comes with competing at the highest level becomes evident.
‘I think, secretly, I enjoy the pressure of competing at the highest level for all the marbles. Pressure outside of swimming is much tougher – family members having cancer and losing loved ones is when things get real.’
A particular lesson Chad wishes viewers receive from his journey, resilience and broader significance is to never give up. ‘No matter what happens. I had suffered defeat after defeat and obstacle after obstacle but remained resilient to my cause. Remember, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.’
The noteworthy partnership that’s helped Chad’s journey has been Omega. The watchmaker has been instrumental in improving his performance over the years. It has been an unbelievable partnership and I consider us a family now,’ he says.
‘Omega has been in my family for generations. Not only are they an amazing company, but they’ve also helped my performance with their technology in the pool – starting block, touchpads, cameras, and the timing system that helped me win gold at the 2012 Summer Olympics by 0.05 seconds.
It’s this combination of reliving the highs and learning from the lows that make Born Racer a documentary absolutely worth watching. We see the immense support from Chad’s parents, Bert and Gerry, his brother Jordan, and coaches both past and present. At the emotional peak, Bert is seen saying ‘I’m eternally grateful for the opportunity of having a champion in the family. It’s not my champion, it’s our champion. He’s the people’s champion.’
We also gain insight into the pride Chad’s accomplishments bring to South Africans. ‘Nothing brings me greater joy than wearing the green and gold, and hearing the national anthem. I’ve sacrificed a lot for my country and my people, and hope to make them proud in the future,’ he adds. ‘Knowing I carry the hopes of the nation on my shoulders is a responsibility I truly relish.
‘I think my definition of happiness is knowing that I sacrificed everything to be the person who I want to be, knowing I’ve given my best, that I’ve represented my country at the highest order. But also just knowing that whatever happens I still have people that care about me. I’m chasing something that’s far bigger than Olympic gold – I’m chasing personal growth.’
Born Racer – The Untold Story of Olympian Swimmer Chad le Clos is now showing on Supersport (SS Variety 1)