Sexton documentary premieres this Sunday
A documentary about Nathan Sexton, a local man diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma in 2015, will premiere at The Walker Theatre on Sunday evening.
The documentary, “Keep Fighting: The Journey of Nathan Sexton,” was created by filmmaker Greg Corradino to tell Sexton’s story and will feature friends and community members talking about his journey, his character and his fight with brain cancer.
“[Corradino] has done an amazing job piecing Nathan’s story together and hearing everybody’s relationships with Nathan in different ways,” Nathan’s wife, Elizabeth, said. “It’s a really unique way he filmed it, and I think he did a really great job.”
Nearly two years ago, Nathan Sexton was working at Bellhops, enjoying the company’s first day at its new office, when he had a seizure. Two more seizures followed before he was able to get to the hospital.
An MRI revealed he had a form of brain cancer that brings an average life expectancy of 15 months.
It was then that Nathan Sexton began distance running.
“[Running] was a way for me to express some normalcy,” he said.
Since his diagnosis, he’s run three halfmarathons, two 50-kilometer races and two full marathons, one of which was the Boston Marathon. The University of Tennessee graduate and Knoxville native ran track in high school but had never been a distance runner.
“We have Superman living in our town“said Ted Alling, a friend and mentor to Nathan Sexton. “He’s a hometown hero. The stuff he’s done since he’s gotten cancer is mind blowing. I’ve only seen parts of [the documentary], so I’m excited for it. It’s going to be a really special film.”
Tickets are on sale at tivolichattanooga.com and are $22 in advance or $30 at the door. The event will start at 5 p.m. with a cocktail hour followed by the showing of the film at 6 p.m.