Four at-risk teenagers from Christchurch’s eastern suburbs get to experience the Coast to Coast up close as both competitors and support crew with the assistance of several multisport legends.
Sometimes getting to the start-line is harder than getting to the finish.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2018
East to East 2017
World Premiere
Vanessa Wells will present her film in person at its NZIFF screenings.
A group of teenagers from Aranui High School are given the opportunity to train for and race in the iconic Coast to Coast multisport event alongside several legends of the sport, including Steve Gurney, Nathan Fa’avae and Emily Miazga.
Even though the Coast to Coast ends right on their doorstep in New Brighton, it’s not an event that kids from Christchurch’s eastern suburbs would normally have the chance to be involved with. The Coast to Coast Rangers was set up in 2015 to change this and in association with the Canterbury Youth Development Programme selected students from Aranui High School to join the fledgling programme.
Although some of the chosen participants dropped out along the way, two students, Taitama and Bryce, were eventually picked to train for the event along with two of their classmates, Sholita and Kaylah, assisting as support crew. With just seven months until the next race, filmmaker Vanessa Wells follows the kids though their ups and downs, as they sacrifice their holidays and time with their friends to commit to training – and confront the doubts that they would ever be able to complete the race.