The 2024 iteration of the Special Olympics New York State Summer Games, hosted by Ithaca College for a third consecutive summer, included some people in attendance who weren’t competing for a medal or cheering from the stands—they were part of an IC documentary crew.
Associate professor of media arts, sciences, and studies Peter Johanns and several of his students chronicled the journeys of Special Olympics athletes to the games, as well as their competitions in a documentary titled More Than a Medal, which features extensive interviews and footage. “I wanted to shine a light on how important these games are to the athletes, coaches, parents, and supporters and to capture the feeling of competitive energy in a supportive environment,” Johanns said.
The documentary, funded through the college’s James B. Pendleton production grant, originally aired on regional stations WCNY, WXXI, and WPBS and was accepted for national distribution for all PBS stations this past April.
Johanns and his students visited several athletes in the weeks leading up to the games and observed their training processes and shot footage of the games, held at venues at Ithaca College and Ithaca High School. “We wanted the athletes to tell their own story and use the sights and sounds to put the audience at the events,” he said. “Sports is about stories, stories of the games and the athletes. As we spoke to the athletes and filmed the competition, I saw a sense a personal accomplishment in all of them that was amazing.”