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Bernarda Thompson is a world champion triathlete who trains 25-30 hours per week while balancing her career as a coach and being a mom. She got into triathlons four years ago when a friend asked her to do a half Ironman, and since then her love of competition and pushing herself has driven her to win numerous championships, including the 70.3 Ironman World Championships. While the time commitment takes her away from her family, their unconditional support is what allows her to train and compete at such a high level.

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164 views

Micro Documentary Script

Bernarda Thompson is a world champion triathlete who trains 25-30 hours per week while balancing her career as a coach and being a mom. She got into triathlons four years ago when a friend asked her to do a half Ironman, and since then her love of competition and pushing herself has driven her to win numerous championships, including the 70.3 Ironman World Championships. While the time commitment takes her away from her family, their unconditional support is what allows her to train and compete at such a high level.

Uploaded by

api-559392378
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Bernarda Thompson: World Champion Triathlete Updated Script

Title: Pushing the Limits Producer: Grace Meyer


Client: Elon University

Video Audio

(Fade up) (Music up)


1. CU of Bernarda (on camera) 1. SOT: Hi, my name is Bernarda
Thompson, otherwise known as
MS: Title graphic Beni, and I am a Triathlete.

2. MS of Bernarda (on camera) 2. SOT: I first got involved with


Ironman four years ago when...I
MS upward tilt of Bernarda running went to college and ran there, and
college poster I took a break from running and
then I started swimming, and one
MS zoom in of photo with of my swim friends said “Oh, I’m
swimmers going to be doing a half Ironman
about three hours from Roanoke,
MS upward tilt of Bernarda do you want to do it with me?”
swimming freestyle And… I knew that, having
completed a half Ironman, I wanted
3. MS of Bernarda (on camera) to try to complete a full Ironman.

MS right pan of Bernarda 3. SOT: My weekly hours are


swimming freestyle probably about 25 hours of
training...I do an hour of swimming,
MS of Bernarda biking at least a day, and I do two hours
of biking a day, and an hour of
MS stock video of running running. Intensities can vary just
depending on whether I’m doing
MS of Bernarda (on camera) high quality sessions.

4. CU- MS zoom out of Bernarda 4. SOT: My preference between all


running (clip 30) three of the sports is definitely
running. Even though I started as a
swimmer when I was little (9 years
old)...like I said I went to college for
MS downward tilt of Bernarda running and I have just always
swimming butterfly loved being outside so...running is
my favorite discipline for sure.
MS right pan of Bernarda running
5. SOT: The thing that really pushes
WS stock video clouds rolling me...during intense training to,
train for the Ironmans are just...I
MS of Bernarda focus out running just love the sport. I love
competing. I’ve competed since I
5. MS of Bernarda (on camera) was 9 years old, there’s just
something in my personality that,
MS of Bernarda biking (clip 20; loves to get out there, and not just
59:10:20-59:13-13) against other people, but push
myself.

CU upward tilt of Bernarda 6. SOT: Two years ago I was


running voted...the USA Triathlon’s Female
Master’s Athlete of the Year. Other
CU of Bernarda (on camera) than that, I’d say winning the 70.3
Ironman World Championships...
6. MS Bernarda holding up medal that was pretty special.

MS of Bernarda (on camera) 7. SOT: The hardest thing about


training for Ironman is the time that
7. CU upward tilt of family pictures I take away from my kids. I train...I
am a coach for triathletes, and a
8. CU of Bernarda (on camera) mom. Mom being the number
one...job.
MS focus in of Bernarda and her
husband 8. SOT: You can never do this kind of
thing on your own. You always
CU of Bernarda (on camera) have the people that are closest to
you, that love you unconditionally,
that support you... When I cross
the line, that’s who crosses the line
with me.
Bernarda Thompson: World Champion Triathlete Transcript

I first got involved with Ironman four years ago when um, I was just swimming, um, I had come
off a lot of running, um, I went to college and ran there, and I took a break from running and then
I started swimming, and one of my swim friends said “Oh, I’m going to be doing a half Ironman
about three hours from Roanoke, uh, do you want to do it with me?” And it was literally like in
three weeks and I trained very little and I went in it and, um, had so much fun, but I knew that,
having completed a half Ironman, I wanted to try and complete a full Ironman. Um, and I knew I
couldn’t do that on my own. So I knew I needed the help of my family, and the coach but yeah,
that’s...it was just a friend asking me.

So, I am just coming off a really hard block of, um, increased volume, so my weekly hours are
probably about 25 hours of training. So I do an hour of swimming, at least a day, um, and I do
two hours of biking a day, and an hour of running, um, intensities can vary just depending on
whether I’m doing some high quality sessions, uh, the weekends I just… this past Saturday I did
a six-hour ride straight on the Blue Ridge Parkway and then had to do (follow it up) with a
three-mile run, but yeah it’s about 25-to-30 hours of training, um, on top of being a mom.

So I.. my preference between all three of the sports is definitely running. Um, even though I
started as a swimmer when I was little (9 years old) um, I.. like I said I went to college for
running and I just have always loved, um, being outside so as a swimmer you’re stuck inside.
Um, yeah it’s... running is my favorite discipline for sure.

My greatest accomplishments...um, that’s tough but, um, I would say, uh, a… two years ago I
was voted, um, the USA Triathlon’s Female Master’s Athlete of the Year, because of what I had
done, um, in some of my other races. So that was a huge honor, um, because I’m voted on by,
you know, peers and, um, other coaches. Uh, other than that, I’d say winning the 70.3 Ironman
World Championships, that was… that was pretty special.

I’d say the hardest thing about training for Ironman is the time that I take away from my kids.
Um, and even though they’re older I still… those 6 hours that I’m gone on the bike, where I can’t
talk to them if they need me to talk to them, that’s definitely the hardest part is, um, just like any
job like not being completely available, to my kids when they need me. Um.

This is going to sound… so the thing that really pushes me...during intense training, to, um, train
for the Ironmans are just… I just love the sport. I love competing, I’ve competed since I was 9
years old, there’s just something in my personality that, um, loves to get out there, and not just
compete against people, but push myself. Um, I was never considered a talented athlete, I’ve
always considered myself a hardworking athlete, and so that’s what I love, is my hard work, um,
being put into an Ironman race and seeing those results. Uh, Ironman races in themselves are,
um, it’s like a community, um, people kinda suffering altogether, um, and so that...that
also…makes it... that’s also a motivator. Just to be a part of that community.
So, I… my jobs are, obviously I train, um, I am a coach for triathletes, um, and a mom. Mom
being the number one, uh, job. Uh, and I am gonna be honest it is not always the easiest to
balance all three. Um, time management, organization, and there’s also, like, I’m..it’s not just me
racing on race day, it’s my family because they are the ones that help me to train. They
understand when I’m tired, they accommodate me, um, my hours, um, and so…it’s difficult but,
um, because I get the help from my family, um, I’m able to manage all of those. And it’s an
ongoing learning process, it… I don’t ever go into a day not expecting to learn something.

Well, the most… that’s definitely… the one thing I wanna add about being an athlete that trains
that much and that competes internationally and on that kind of a level is that you can never do
this kind of thing on your own. You always have the people that are closest to you, that love you
unconditionally, that support you. That’s what...so when I cross the line, that’s who crosses the
line with me.

Hi, my name is Bernarda Thompson, otherwise known as Beni, and I am a Triathlete.

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