Film explores identity, risk, love, and the future of women’s mountain biking
Vermont Business Magazine June 22 marked the public release of It Will Be Different For You, a new documentary short from filmmakers Megan Mayhew Bergman and Simon Perkins profiling Lea Davison. Davison is a two-time Olympian, two-time World Championship medalist, and eight-time U.S. National Champion whose lifelong relationship with mountain biking became a path toward self-acceptance and freedom.
Released during Pride Month, the 18-minute documentary highlights Davison’s career both on and off the bike. Specifically, the emotional terrain behind elite competition and the personal breakthroughs that changed the way she approached sport, identity, and risk.
The film captures the intensity and sacrifice required to compete at the highest levels of the sport and centers on a deeper realization: that unconditional love unlocked the ability to ride, and live, without limits.
“Happiness is fast, and love is even faster,” said Davison. “Now, after retiring, I can fully explore the true impact that I can have on the sport and I’m going to light this whole place on fire.”
It Will Be Different For You explores how Davison evolved from world-class competitor into a powerful advocate for inclusion and equity in cycling. The film explores the barriers she encountered as a woman and LGBTQ+ athlete, and her determination to help create a more welcoming future for the next generation of riders.
“It Will Be Different For You is an invitation to anyone who has ever held back,” said the filmmakers in a joint statement. “From a jump, a conversation, or a fuller version of themselves.”
Directed by award-winning writer and journalist Megan Mayhew Bergman and filmmaker Simon Perkins, the film has screened internationally across nine festivals on three continents, including the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival, Whistler Film Festival, Kendal Mountain Festival, Bend Film Festival, and Filmed by Bike Film Festival.
It Will Be Different For You is now publicly available at vimeo.com/921885882. The film is available for educational, community, and streaming distribution.
Interviews, appearances, and digital assets are available upon request.
About Lea Davison
Lea Davison is a 2x Olympian and 2x World Championships medalist and 8X US National Champion from Jericho, Vermont. She is a graduate of Middlebury College where she competed as a downhill ski racer. She began mountain bike racing in 2001. Her career highlights include: Silver medal at the 2016 World Championships, Bronze medal at the 2014 World Championships, and 3rd overall in the 2015 World Cup series. Her passion is getting the next generation of females riding mountain bikes, which is why she co-founded Little Bellas, a mentoring on mountain bikes program for girls. Lea is passionate about using her platform as an Olympic Cyclist to empower women and advocate for LGBTQ rights.
About the Directors
Megan Mayhew Bergman is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and critic whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s Bazaar, The Guardian, and The Paris Review. She is the author of four books and is working on a short film about conservationist Sandy West.
Simon Perkins is a filmmaker and visual storyteller whose work explores adventure, family, and the emotional pull of the natural world through cinematic outdoor storytelling.
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Vermont Business Magazine