SXSW: I’m Carl Lewis

At the height of his career, Carl Lewis has achieved what most thought was impossible.  After all, the only Olympian who even attempted close to what Lewis had  accomplished in track & field at that time was Jesse Owens in 1936.  Owens, in a racially heightened Hitler run Germany walked away with four gold medals. Lewis has won a total of 9 gold and one silver.  His record was unchallenged until Alyson Felix won her 11th medal in 2021.

In any other country, Carl Lewis would be viewed as an athletic God, but NOT in America.  While shattering records, he challenged the status quo by standing up and speaking out on the injustices prevalent in the sport at the time – like allowing athletes to use performance enhancing drugs

Directed by Chris Hay and two-time Academy Award-nominated producer Julie Anderson, I’m Carl Lewis! weaves candid interviews with Lewis, Nike founder Phil Knight, longtime coach Tom Tellez, late-career rival Mike Powell, Grammy and Emmy-winning music producer Narada Michael Walden and more, alongside stunning archival footage offering an unfiltered look at an icon who broke records, defied norms, and changed the game on his own terms.

Lewis was a part of five American Olympic teams, demonstrating unmatched talent in the long jump and sprinting, achieving feats no other track and field athlete earning him the title “Athlete of the Century.”

This doc delicately addressed the victories and missteps along the journey as well as answering the question of what happened to this amazing athlete, what is up to and more importantly – where are those infamous red pumps.

Audiences will watch with mouths agape as a young twenty-something Lewis struggles from becoming an Olympic hero to being a seen as a villain. Mostly due to the fact that he was unapologetic about his deserved wins and engaged a strategy with Coach Tellez that pundits categorized as selfish.

A dedicated activist for family, youth, education, wellness, and fitness, he uses his global fame to raise awareness of the challenges and opportunities surrounding these issues worldwide. Since retiring from competition in 1997, Lewis has focused on charity work through “The Carl Lewis Foundation,
” which supports organizations like “Best Buddies,” The Wendy Marx Foundation (for organ donor awareness), Ronald McDonald House Charities, and youth fitness programs. Additionally, he serves as the Head Coach
of Track and Field at the University of Houston.

In the words of the amazingly gifted Carl Lewis, “…you make history by being yourself and making your own rules. You don’t make history following the rules.”

As someone who is unapologetic in my opinion and how I live my life, I can appreciate someone who when they lay their head down at night has no regrets while living a life not predicated on others opinions or desires.

I’m Carl Lewis is an illuminated look at an athletes rise, fall and uprising like a phoenix if for nothing else to prove how vital it is to not let people define how you think. Say what you think and do what you believe.