Sportswear Brand On Chronicles a Refugee’s Extraordinary Path to the Olympics

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Last year, Swiss sportswear brand On chronicled the remarkable journey of long-distance runner Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu as the South Sudanese refugee sought to race for his adopted country, Switzerland. Now, the brand continues the story as Lobalu prepares for the men’s 5,000-meter race Saturday at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

“To Chase a Dream,” directed by J.M. Harper and Hector Aponysus of Park Pictures, blends interviews with competition footage to share Lobalu’s history and aspirations as his dream comes within reach. In the nine-minute film, he talks about pushing through the pain when running, trains with his coach, and practices his German during a physiotherapy session.

The story picks up from where On left off in its 30-minute documentary about Lobalu, The Right to Race, which premiered at the 2023 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

Born in Sudan, Lobalu lost his parents to the Sudanese Civil War at age nine and began running for the Athlete Refugee Team in Kenya at age 15. He sought asylum in Switzerland and, after four years, he was granted the right to compete for his new home at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome.

Despite initially falling far behind, he won his first international championship race and is now setting his sights on an Olympic medal.

“We’ve been deeply connected to Dominic’s journey since 2017,” On film and documentary lead Gessica Giulini said in a statement. “We remained closely connected, hoping to see his dream come true—and so it was. His journey, culminating in competing and winning on the world’s grandest athletic stages, proves that anything is possible when you dream together.”

“To Chase a Dream” is the final episode in On’s “Dream Together” series.

The two previous films, also directed by Harper, were “Beyond Number One,” which followed Iga Świątek, who is ranked no. 1 in women’s singles by the Women’s Tennis Association, and “The Heart to Race,” which explored the bond between On Athletics Club teammates Hellen Obiri and Sinta Vissa.

“Dream Together” is also the title of a June ad from On that stars Zendaya and targets Generation Z.

CREDITS

Directors: J.M. Harper and Hector Aponysus
Editors: Byron Leon and Gabriela Tessitore
Director of photography: Jan Mettler
Composer: William Ryan Fritch
Sound designer/mixer: Raphael Ajuelos
Colorist: Ayumi Ashley
Production: Park Pictures London

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Sportswear Brand On Chronicles a Refugee’s Extraordinary Path to the Olympics

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