As a female producer and filmmaker within the adventure sports world, last year I undertook one of my most challenging and rewarding projects yet, an incredible journey with my good friend and Ultra Cyclist, Jack Thompson.
I first met Jack in Girona late in 2019 where he was touring his first film ‘The Grand Tours Everesting Project.’ His bold and ambitious plans opened my eyes towards this new and exciting project, GP-1200.
Jack is a mental health advocate and highlights a very power message through his crazy ventures, that message being that, #isoktonotbeok . Paired with his passion for cycling and his absolute lack of ‘limits’ made for a perfect character and a perfect adventure. In early October, 2019, we set off from Girona, Spain on a non stop journey, to Caramulo, Portugal.
Not only was the venture a monster for Jack, but a monster for the entire team involved. After the first long day, it was 3am and time for the crew to pull over and enjoy a nap. Jack appeared just to be warming up and pushed on into the night.
After just 40min of sleep, we took off in the search for Jack, eager not to miss a minute of footage. Rounding a long dark bend in the middle of the woods, we found Jack, back against a wall enjoying a 20min power nap at the stairs to a small cathedral. Stuffing his face full of food, and slipping on another layer of clothing, Jack re-mounted his bike and continued West.
Jack rode for a total of 56 hours, covering 1,200km and 11,910m of elevation. A beautiful and challenging journey designed to once again remove the stigma attached to mental health, GP-1200 tells our story.
Jack’s quote:
“Riding my bike from Girona to Portugal is nothing compared to my early teenage years and my struggles with mental health. I just hope that by sharing my story, I can inspire others to go about pushing their own limits in search of happiness”