New Salomon TV Film Tells Rich Story Of American Culture

Salomon announces the release of TransAmericana, a feature-length film that follows ultrarunner Rickey Gates on his 2017 journey to run across the Continental United States. Available online and at select live events in September, TransAmericana documents Gates on his 3,700-mile journey from South Carolina to California on the heels of the divisive 2016 U.S. presidential election, which inspired the athlete to seek connection with his country.

Although the film delivers unparalleled insights into the extreme athletic and mental challenges demanded by this five-month journey, running is not the focus. Instead, the story is of the remarkable people across the United States, told through rich visual imagery, personal narratives and Rickey’s experience.

“It just occurred to me that I don’t know my country at all. I wanted to experience and see and feel what this is all about. For me, running is the perfect vehicle for learning about people and how the places they live shape who they are. This journey was a way to put that belief to the test,” says Rickey Gates. “It’s becoming so easy to live in separate bubbles. How can we have a discussion if we don’t even know the person on the other side of the argument?”

TransAmericana is a feature-length film produced by Salomon and the Wandering Fever and follows the Spring 2020 release of Gates’s debut book, Cross Country, a coffee table book of photography and stories from the TransAmericana project. The film will be available to stream on September 29 on Salomon TV.

“This year has been one of intense challenge for so many of us, and this film’s themes of compassion, open-mindedness and light-hearted adventure have never felt more important. Despite all of our differences, we are all connected in this life, and Rickey does an incredibly inspiring job of exploring unity through his story,” says Erin Cooper, run marketing manager for Salomon in North America. “Running across the country is an impressive feat on its own, and doing it in this way really shines a light on Rickey’s talent not only as an athlete, but as a storyteller and community leader, too.”

Gates will host several in-person, drive-in screenings for TransAmericana, following local safety guidelines.