Documentary follows Vancouver athlete’s record-breaking Antarctic triathlon

When: Nov. 13-22

Where: Various theatres

Tickets: $32 regular ($30 youth/student/senior). Online film pass: $49 at vimff.org

A triathlon on the moon? Why not?

“People joke about that, but there is a group called the Space Federation for Athletes that I’m talking to,” Connor Emeny said. “It sounds so crazy, but that’s kind of what I’ve been drawn to my whole life: what is possible? If your dream is worth pursuing, it should be crazy.”

The Vancouver-based Emeny is a world record-holding endurance athlete, adventurer and author. He is the youngest person to complete an Ironman-distance triathlon on all seven continents, including Antarctica.

A documentary about his experience, Chasing Antarctica, premieres at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival Fall Series on Nov. 17 at the Rio Theatre.

The VIMFF Fall Series runs Nov. 13 to 22, featuring nine in-person shows at five venues across Metro Vancouver and Squamish. The program includes five world premieres and appearances by 11 guest speakers, including mountaineer Don Bowie, big-mountain skier Griffin Post and snowboarder Alenka Mali. Films explore climbing, skiing, cycling, endurance sports and environmental themes. A selection will be available to stream online from Nov. 23 to Dec. 31.

Emeny’s documentary follows the logistical challenges of reaching Antarctica as well as the triathlon itself, including a swim in minus-one-degree water, a near-death experience and a close encounter with an elephant seal.

Over two years after completing the feat, what sticks with him is having family members there for support. Emeny brought along his filmmaker friend Innes Simpson, as well as his mother and brother.

“We still talk about it all the time when we see each other and relive these moments together. So I’m proud to have accomplished it, but even more proud of bringing them along for the ride and having a ‘we-did-it’ kind of mindset in it all.”

And the right mindset is crucial. An Ironman triathlon consists of a 3.8-kilometre swim, a 180-kilometre bike ride and a 42.2-kilometre run (a full marathon). In a conventional race, the route is mapped out and thousands of other competitors provide motivation. In Antarctica, Emeny had to organize everything himself and complete the challenge alone.

“It’s a whole new dimension. The other races, you have 2,000-plus athletes, and then for this one, it was me and the elephant seal chasing me, or the penguin swimming by, or just barren land. It really becomes this mental and spiritual journey, with a ‘you-versus-you’ mindset, versus ‘we’re in this together, racing against each other.’

“There’s no camaraderie. It’s just as bare a human experience as you can get, and you have to dig super-deep to remember why you’re doing it.”

But returning to ordinary life after such an extraordinary experience presents challenges of its own. Like the American soldier in The Hurt Locker who struggles to shop for groceries after defusing bombs, Emeny has found it difficult to adjust after periods of extreme adventure.