Children of Champions

CONCEPT

Children of Champions is a new, feature-length documentary that examines the relationship between elite athletic performance and parenting success. The deeply personal, cinematically rich, previously unheard, high-profile story is told by a diverse group of Olympians, their children, and a filmmaker who herself was parented by an Olympian mother.

Klaudia Kovács’ film’s poster. (Photo by: Center image by Photos by Anita. Archive photos by KlaudiaKovacs.com.)

Given that outstanding sportsmanship requires a certain type of commitment to excellence across the board, it is not surprising that many Olympians have raised extraordinarily successful off-spring and several of them have become Olympians themselves.

Children of Champions—a fascinating, entertaining yet educational documentary—will interview star athletes and examine the unique parenting styles of Olympians who transcended greatness beyond their sport performance, as well as the childhood experiences of their children who grew into extraordinary achievers.

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Children of Champions will be the first film to discuss the relationship between elite athletic performance and parenting success by a multi-award-winning filmmaker who currently lives in an Olympic city: Los Angeles (1984 & 2028).

BACKGROUND

The inspiration of this film was my Olympian mother, Eva Erdelyi, who competed during the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

While my mom was a great athlete, she excelled even more as a parent: her intent was to raise an exceptional human whom would stand out in the world in whatever area she decided to choose for herself.

The core concept of Children of Champions was born out of and is rooted in my own unique experiences as a young girl. Given that many of my Olympian mother’s friends were also Olympians, their kids became my friends and our group was: the children of champions.

International swimmers with staff at the Olympic Village in Tokyo in 1964—my Olympian mom in the middle

SYNOPSIS & CAST

As an American and European director, I intend to interview a wide range of international star athletes from various cultures who either:

  • had Olympic parents and are Olympians themselves

  • had Olympic parents and achieved great success in a different field

  • are Olympians themselves and are now parents as well.

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In the case of active athletes, more interviews will be shot during upcoming Olympic Games, before/after they compete: this would be history in the making.

In addition to the subjective and personal storytelling, there will be an interwoven objective and scientific storyline featuring sport, performance, and child psychologists analyzing how one becomes a top-performer.

This will give credibility of and justification to the personal stories of Olympians, their parents, and their kids.

SUPPORTERS

An increasing number of organizations are ready to provide assistance to Children of Champions.

  • Hungarian Olympic Committee

  • International Society of Olympic Historians

  • Hungarian Swimming Association

  • Sport Museum of Eger, Hungary

  • Dr. Pal Hencsei, Olympic Historian

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Children of Champions has been receiving an increased amount of media interest in the U.S., Europe, and New Zealand. Our first press release may be viewed here. So far, we have been featured in:

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FINANCING & BUDGET

Ideally, financing would come from one entity, however, the reality of film-budgets and the film industry is such that a collaboration of multiple entities might be required.

Currently, Children of Champions, urgently seeks DEVELOPMENT and PRODUCTION FUNDS in order to prepare for and film our pre-interviews.

Children of Champions is open to any variation of financing model, and may include any of the following funding sources or support by:

With my synopsis of Children of Champions

  • Private investment

  • Streaming platform (Netflix, Disney+, Amazon, Hulu, Apple, etc.)

  • Pre-sale

  • Tax-incentive

  • Grant

  • Donation

  • Broadcaster

  • Sponsorship

  • In-kind donation

We welcome contributions from any country, however, Children of Champions is primarily seeking financing from the USA, European Union, Japan, and Hungary.

We have secured a (non-profit) fiscal sponsorship status with the International Documentary Association (IDA) in the United States and we’re actively seeking financial contributions HERE.

If you wish to support the film this way, the following forms of payment are possible:

  • Cash

  • Checks

  • Credit card

  • Wire transfers or ACH (U.S. only)

  • Stocks

  • Matching donation

  • Online donation

Eva Erdelyi's Olympic Diploma from Tokyo, Japan.

If:

  • you’re able to provide any assistance, or

  • would like to request a synopsis, or

  • receive updates for the film, or

  • later be invited to red carpet premieres

please enter your information below.

Also, join our list if you’d like to be part of this phenomenal project focusing on and celebrating human potential, children, and parents who do heroic work every day.