First-of-its-kind off-road cycling series profiled beautifully through the six-episode “Call of a Life Time” video series, featuring a behind-the-scenes look at the athletes’ incredible journeys.
Life Time, the nation’s premier healthy lifestyle brand, announces “Call of a Life Time,” a docuseries made up of six binge-worthy episodes that follow the elite women and men in the inaugural Life Time Grand Prix presented by Mazda.
“Call of a Life Time” Launches on January 27
Launching on January 27, the Docuseries offers a truly unique, behind-the-scenes look into the off-road cycling world and the characters at play. Featuring three gravel and three mountain biking events that are owned and produced by Life Time and make up the Grand Prix, Call of a Life Time explores the intense competition that exists in the United States among 60 of the world’s elite cyclists. Each episode will expose their highs, lows, drama, self-doubt, turmoil and accomplishments, and what it took emotionally and physically for them to perform at the highest level over the grueling, seven-month-long 2022 race season.
The most iconic races in the country are memorized in each of the six episodes, including the Life Time Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear and the Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB. The Docuseries finale showcases the Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda, which took place in Bentonville, Ark. in October, culminating the Grand Prix season and revealing which athletes walked away with the $250,000 prize purse.
Filmed by Cold Collaborative
The series was filmed by the award-winning production company, Cold Collaborative, and conceptualized by director and company founder, Shannon Vandivier.
“When I was first approached by Life Time with the opportunity to create this docuseries, I was inspired by “Drive to Survive,” the Formula 1 Netflix series. The idea was to focus more on the characters and to glorify the races/championship aspect a bit less,” said Vandivier. “We discovered that so many of the athletes are out there because they want to be ambassadors, to inspire others to get outside and use the bike as a vector for getting more people outdoors. That’s really the mark of one of these athletes. They’re getting paid to go race but, equally as much, they are there to represent their sponsors and be an ambassador. We wanted to uncover why they do this kind of thing, and what it takes emotionally and physically.”
When asked about the process of creating this docuseries, Vandivier said, “It’s a complicated process, as a director. On average, we had seven people at each race over the course of the past year, pouring massive amounts of time, effort, and creativity into this project. I’m damn proud of the team and want to celebrate them because they were the ones who were able to execute the vision. Whether you’re a dedicated cyclist, a weekend warrior or simply wishing to draw inspiration in your own life, the series is sure to entertain all.”
Six Episodes
The format of the series flips back and forth, with the first (Sea Otter Classic) and last (Big Sugar Gravel) episodes highlighting both the women’s and men’s races, the second event (Unbound Gravel) highlighting the men’s race, the third event (Crusher in the Tushar) highlighting the women’s race, and so on.
- Episode 1: Marathon mountain bike race at the Life Time Sea Otter Classic presented by Continental in Monterey, Calif.
- Episode 2: 200-mile Garmin UNBOUND Gravel presented by Craft Sportswear in Emporia, Kan.
- Episode 3: 70-mile Life Time Crusher in the Tushar presented by The Creamery in Beaver, Utah
- Episode 4: Stages Cycling Leadville Trail 100 MTB in Leadville, Colo.
- Episode 5: 40-mile Life Time Chequamegon MTB presented by Trek in Cable, Wis.
- Episode 6: 100-mile Life Time Big Sugar Gravel presented by Mazda in Bentonville, Ark.
“A key objective for creating the Life Time Grand Prix was to generate fandom around the United States cycling scene. The Call of a Life Time aims to showcase the humans who exemplify this scene by profiling their personalities on and off the bike and their unique and relatable stories. We truly are grateful to the many athletes who dedicated hours of their time throughout the 2022 season to help bring this beautiful storytelling piece to life and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with the world,” said Michelle Duffy, Director of Brand & Content for Events at Life Time, and Co-Executive Producer of the Call of a Life Time series. “Cycling fans will be able to reminisce on the exciting 2022 season, while non-cyclists (and new fans) can indulge in the drama and complexity of these athletes, their unique stories and the sport as a whole.”
Watch the Call of a Life Time Official Trailer
Where to Watch
All six episodes will be available for free on the Life Time Grand Prix YouTube channel and premiere on January 27 at 6 p.m. CST.
