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Don’t miss a screening of the inspiring and vital new documentary, Go On, Be Brave, followed by a conversation and Q&A with the film’s subjects, Andrea Lytle Peet and David Peet.
Go On, Be Brave is the story of one woman’s race against time and an attempt at the impossible: to be the first person with ALS to complete a marathon in all 50 states. The film begins with Andrea Lytle Peet’s life-altering ALS diagnosis at the age of 33. Her disease was rapidly progressing but like a true athlete, she decided to do one final race – which changed everything. She realized she could inspire people with her story and challenged friends and family to “go on and be brave.” Then she waited, assuming she would die soon. The life expectancy of ALS is two to five years.
At the five-year anniversary of her ALS diagnosis, Andrea set an ambitious goal: to become the first person with ALS to complete a marathon in all 50 US states. An “attempt at the impossible,” shares her neurologist Dr. Bedlack; a goal even Andrea doesn’t think she will reach. But she wants to try.
What starts as one woman’s quest toward 50 marathons evolves into a story of community, hope, and asks us all to consider the question, “what does it mean to truly live?”
For more information and to check out the film’s trailer, visit goonbebrave.com.
Separate tickets required
Cost: $10
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Tuesday, October 24 | 7:00 pm
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Mugar Omni Theater Find on map
Recommended for: Visitors 18 years of age and older
Before receiving a death sentence of ALS at 33, Andrea Lytle Peet was living a normal life: urban planner, triathlete, and wife hoping to start a family with her beloved husband, David. In four months, she went from completing a half Ironman to walking with a cane. Like a true athlete, she decided to do one final race before her body failed her — an extraordinary experience that convinced Lytle Peet she could create something positive from her journey. After five years with ALS, she embarked on the craziest goal she could imagine: to become the first person with ALS to complete a marathon in all 50 US states. The Peets created the Team Drea Foundation, raising more than $1 million for ALS research and inspiring over 400 people to take on challenges they did not think possible. With co-author Meredith Atwood, Lytle Peet’s memoir, Hope Fights Back, is being released in fall 2023 by Pegasus Books.
In 2014, David Peet’s life was turned upside down when his wife Andrea was diagnosed with ALS and given only two to five years to live. At the time, they were living in Washington, DC, and David was working long hours as a junior associate in a highly regarded law firm. Andrea’s diagnosis changed everything. “I stopped thinking in terms of five- and ten-year plans,” Peet explains, “I want to make all of her goals and dreams come true, and I want to be there every step of the way.” Today, David Peet works as an attorney for a software company while also serving as Chairman of the Board of The Team Drea Foundation.
When Miriam (MJ) McSpadden stepped behind the lens of a camera for the first time at age 19, she fell in love with cinematography and editing. McSpadden has dedicated the last decade to honing her craft and has been fortunate to be mentored by award- winning cinematographers and editors. She is passionate about seeing more women in technical positions throughout the film industry. Her work for outlets like NBC, ESPN, and PBS North Carolina has won her seven Mid-South Emmy awards and sixteeen more nominations. Go On, Be Brave is her debut as a director of a feature documentary film.
Brian’s Beckman’s journey to film has been unorthodox in every way. At the age of 23, he found himself as a research assistant, utilizing his degree in exercise sports science. When approached by a nonprofit to travel to East Africa (Uganda, Rwanda) to put on sports camps, he put in his two weeks’ notice and got on a plane. Since then, Beckman founded a nonprofit that employs 24 Rwandans who use soccer to work with kids who are experiencing homelessness. Starting a nonprofit at the age of 23 didn’t afford a budget for photography and film, so he taught himself. He has always had a deep passion for telling marginalized stories and has honed his craft over the last 15 years by collaborating with individuals within underrepresented communities to ensure filming and storytelling is empowering for all involved. Go On, Be Brave is his debut as a co-director of a feature documentary film.
