There's talk about the Olympics coming to San Diego and Tijuana in 2024, but in the meantime, you have the chance to catch a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes at the largest sporting event in the world.
Thursday, in an exclusive one-night nationwide event, you can get a taste of Olympic glory and pain through the documentary "First: The Story of the London 2012 Olympic Games."
The movie shows the journeys of 12 first-time London Olympians including USA's 4-time gold medal winner Missy Franklin.
Southern California Olympian Caroline Buchanan may have fallen short of the London medal stand, but she made it to the silver screen.
The BMX daredevil is a world champion and one of Australia's most well-known Olympic athletes who often trains in Chula Vista.
Buchanan, 22, said "I was a little bit nervous at first to do a film, I'm no movie star."
She told NBC 7 about what she learned during filming. "The similarities between the 12 athletes getting to an Olympic games and that level, but also the very different way each country works and the process to get to the Olympic games, it's quite scary some of the stories," Buchanan said.
Buchanan said the film depicts not just the glitz and glamor of the medal winners. It shows the other side too.
She added "but then there's also the low times of a lot of other athletes who didn't get the results they wanted, and the reactions from coaches, and family, and coaches who'd walked out on them when they didn't do well."
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In London, Buchanan entered the BMX finals with the top time and speed, but fell to 5th.
She said the Olympic disappointment is only part of her life story.
Buchanan started riding at age five in her brother's footsteps.
"He then went on to break his neck and we had quite a few hardships throughout our family. Lost our family home in the bush fires in 2003," she said.
Producers say this movie is about the journey and a glimpse inside the human spirit of some athletes who you'll likely hear more from at the 2016 games in Rio.
"First: The Story of the London 2012 Olympic Games" will be showing Thursday at a one-time only event here in San Diego at 7:30 p.m. at three locations:
- AMC Mission Valley 20 (IMAX)
- Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium 18 (IMAX)
- Horton Plaza 8
Ticket are $12.50.
