Brittany Runs a Marathon is a film directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo and starring Jillian Bell that tells the true story of Brittany O' Neil. Who is this woman? In 2011, Brittany was going through a strong existential crisis regarding her frustrated work as an actress, her long nights of partying and sleepless nights and her bad eating habits. At that time, her self-esteem was deeply affected as she was not comfortable with the image reflected by the mirror.
In that moment she decides to take matters into her own hands and starts running. "I didn't grow up doing any sport, so I didn't know anything else to do," she confesses in an interview for Runners World. Little by little, with muscle aches in between and a lot of sacrifice, her body began to change and she started to feel better physically. She was getting more and more motivated and she even thought about running the 9-kilometer lap of Central Park. "There wasn't a big crowd cheering my name or any ribbons at the end of the run, but the feeling I had was special," she says.
It was at that moment that his friend - and flatmate - Colaizzo secretly began writing the script for what would later become this thrilling film. It was when O'Neil discovered this that she set out to run the New York City Marathon in 2012. She had already participated in some five or ten kilometers marathons but felt she needed an even more demanding challenge. However, that event was cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy, which hit the city, so she was only able to meet her goal in 2014.
When the film was finally sold, her friend and director gifted her that money, which she used to become a certified personal trainer and nutritionist, a job she continues to fulfil to this day.
An exciting and inspiring story!
