As a first generation Mexican American raised in a strict household, Bam Mendiola felt the pressure to live up to the dreams of his parents. He had to look a certain way, be successful in school, and achieve, achieve, achieve. And he did for as long as he could, but at the cost of hiding his true self. After coming out to his family and friends, Bam found empowerment through mountaineering and cemented his own powerful identity. Bam now takes pride in being his ancestors’ wildest dreams.
Following a miscarriage, filmmaker Hannah Maia felt that her body had betrayed her. She was angry and felt a growing discomfort in her own skin. In the past, Hannah had bike packed on the Continental Divide Trail, rafted the Grand Canyon — and yet more adulting, plus the miscarriage, had led her to less and less physical activity. To rattle herself out of this dark time, Hannah committed to swim in open water once a month for an entire year. And while filming her endeavor, Hannah moved from devastation to self-love and epiphany.
Eric Jackson has built a life and a career around kayaking, a sport that is foundationally individual. You are alone in a boat. And while kayaking is his life's purpose, Eric's responsibilities extend far beyond the river to his family, his business, and his community. But there’s a stark difference between paddling a kayak and navigating a life filled with priorities. It is the age-old outdoor sport conundrum: how do you pursue an individual sport while still being a functional part of a team and family? To answer this for himself, Eric had to become unwavering in the pursuit of his purpose and priorities.
