True Grit: Nathan Fa'avae
01/01/2007About
Now available to view and buy on Vimeo
True Grit tells the story of the teenage tearaway that became a world champion. But more than this, it tells the story of a passionate, genuine man who is connecting with ordinary Kiwis and turning lives around. You can rent or buy True Grit from our Vimeo on Demand page here.
At age 16 Nathan Fa’avae was struggling to find his identity as a Samoan New Zealander in provincial Nelson and, like many teenagers, was drinking and dabbling with drugs. 15 years later he was a professional athlete, ranked number 1 in the world in the grueling sport of Adventure Racing.
After a pro-racing career that saw Nathan lead the New Zealand Adventure Racing team to victory in countless international events, Nathan recently retired from professional racing and is now turning his skills to giving back to the community that helped turn his life around.
Nathan works with youth at risk and with young people destined to becoming elite sportspeople. He has been appointed an Ambassador for Outward Bound, a SPARC Sports Ambassador and runs his own Team-Building and Events company - Mission Events - from his Nelson base.
Producer Alex Clark says that the documentary was particularly satisfying for the production team because Nathan is a classic ‘un-sung hero’. “Nathan is one of life’s true ‘good guys’. He’s achieved at the highest level in one of the world’s toughest pursuits and overcome huge personal challenges in the process, but he remains one of the most genuine guys you’ll meet.”
