The 10-part cable TV documentary about a bicyclist who shared his tandem with disabled passengers on a cross-country bike trip is getting lots of recognition.
“Take a Seat: Sharing a Ride Across America” won top honors for Universal Sports Network at the CableFax Program Awards in the Best Show or Series – Sports category.
The half-hour series first aired on Universal Sports in April. It recorded the adventures and hardships of Britain's Dominic Gill as he paired up on a tandem with disabled people who undergo various hardships in their lives.
This past summer, Gill headed to Egypt with his tandem bicycle for another “Take a Seat” adventure. (See the trailer below)
Inspiration
The 10-part series not only conveyed the wonderful scenery of America's backroads, but also portrayed the joy and perseverance of Gill's companions who get to escape the limitations of their afflictions. It was truly inspiring.
The documentary also received Best Documentary Feature at the New York – Los Angeles Film Festival, and the 2011 John Muir Award at the Yosemite Film Festival.
Gill made the trip in 2010 on a tandem that puts the “stoker” in front of the captain so both get a good view of the road. The cyclist and film crew traveled from the Santa Monica Pier in California to Central Park in New York City.
First tandem tour
It was Gill's second empty-seated tandem ride. Several years previously, he rode a standard tandem through North and South America. That trip is portrayed in “Take a Seat.” One of the more than 250 people who accompanied and inspired him was Ernie Greenwald of Lompoc, California.
Gill returned to California with the special tandem to fulfill Greenwald's dream of a cross-country bicycle tour, but the 70-year-old man was too ill with cancer to make the trip. He died while Gill was enroute to New York.
Episodes of “Take a Seat” are posted online at the Universal Sports Network. [It takes a minute for the videos to respond, and they're preceded by a 30-second promo for bicycling.]
Various episodes run occasionally on the Cable TV network, although you'll need to check the TV schedule to see when they air.
Egypt adventure
Where in the world has Dominic taken his tandem lately? Below is a trailer for his upcoming project, a “Take a Seat” tandem bicycle tour across Egypt during the turmoil of this past summer.
Take A Seat Egypt. On the Road to Aswan from dominic Gill on Vimeo.
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