“The darkest moments of my life have been overcome by my persistence in attempting challenges such as endless training sessions in the pool or the gym, swimming alone in the sea, or walking in the mountains. This is why I choose to do the Frog Graham challenge.” – Ivan Dragoshinski
About the Film:
This documentary encompasses more than filming people running and swimming in the mountains. Award-winning filmmaker, Blaga Ditrow, follows the journey of Ivan Dragoshinski, a man who discovers that during the darkest moments of his life, his persistence and endurance help him overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges.
He enters The Frog Graham Round – the UK’s ultimate swim/run challenge. It comprises running over 40 miles as well as ascending and descending 15,750 feet over the North Western Lake district in England. The contenders must also swim across 4 lakes with a total distance of approximately 2.4 miles before finishing where it all started at Keswick, a small town in the heart of the Lake district. This is not an ordinary day out in the hills and lakes, but rather a very tough challenge for athletes looking for something out of the ordinary and who want to push themselves one step further.
Over the last 18 years, only 150 contenders have successfully completed the round. The organizers of this challenge do not give certificates away lightly; they have to be earned the hard way. And Ivan knows this to be true as he was unsuccessful during his first attempt at this challenge. Will he be triumphant the second time around on his quest to become the next Frog Graham Round victor?
About the Filmmaker:
As the owner of Lush Life Film, a New York City-certified minority-owned business; director of photography, steadicam operator, and producer Blaga Ditrow’s work is primarily based in New York City, where she lives with her husband – a jazz drummer – and their children after immigrating from Bulgaria in 2013. With a specialty in capturing the intimacy of musical performance through the grandeur typically attributed to feature films, Blaga brings an unmatched eye for storytelling through captivating visuals.
Her extensive experience as a cinematographer spans a plethora of mediums, and includes work on feature films like My Last Best Friend, TV series like The Adventures of Snow White and Rose Red, True Tales from Mardi Gras and Without Borders documentaries and an array of short films, commercials, and music videos. Blaga’s passion for the project and dynamic filmmaking ability ensures that every frame tells a story, making her an integral part of sharing the story of jazz past, present, and future.
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