Aisha McAdams, an ultra-marathon runner and professional photographer, shares her compelling journey in Max Lowe’s upcoming documentary, *Learning to Fly*. The film, set to open in select cinemas on August 21, chronicles her unique relationship with running and how this sport intersected with her life experiences.
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Growing up, McAdams found solace in running, which she initially embraced as an escape from the turmoil caused by her mother’s alcoholism. “My adoptive mum struggled with alcoholism. I became the scapegoat for all the demons she was dealing with,” McAdams reflects in *Learning to Fly*. This early trauma shaped her view of running as not merely an athletic pursuit, but as a means of constructing her identity in the face of adversity.
As McAdams progressed through her youth, her deep passion for running began to transform into something more complex. The pressures of competition increased, and without proper coping mechanisms, her anxiety about performance grew. “Running became my entire identity,” she shares. “If something went wrong during a race, I would completely crumble. I started to associate my self-worth with winning.” This despair ultimately led her to take a step back from elite competition, a decision that became pivotal in her journey.
In her junior year of university, McAdams discovered photography, which served as a critical turning point. The camera provided her with a new perspective on running, allowing her to reconnect with her passion in a more fulfilling way. “Photography offered a lens into running I hadn’t had before,” she recalls. “It combined my two loves into one.” This artistic outlet not only enabled her to remain involved in the sport, but also provided a different outlet for expression, creating a boundary between her self-worth and her athletic performance.
*Learning to Fly* features some of the world’s best ultra-runners, including Jim Walmsley and Rod Farvard, as they prepare for the grueling challenges of 100-mile races in California and France. McAdams documents their journeys, capturing both the struggles and triumphs of these athletes while also running alongside them to garner the most evocative shots. “It’s easy to put these athletes on a pedestal, but they are also parents and partners,” she explains, reflecting on her philosophy as a photographer. “I always see them as people first.”
Director Max Lowe was keenly aware of the potential impact of McAdams’ story when he invited her to feature in the film. With a personal history intertwined with running, her narrative added depth to a project already filled with athletic narratives. “There have been many films about running that have strictly followed the athletes,” Lowe notes. “But I wanted a unique lens through which to view their lives, and Aisha’s journey was just what we needed.”
McAdams’ return to competitive running was catalysed by her involvement in the documentary. Inspired by the stories of the athletes she filmed, she took on the challenge of training for her first ultra-marathon. Despite the physical and emotional toll of balancing filming and preparation, she found within herself a resilience that she describes as innate. “I just felt like I could do it,” she shares with determination.
Through the new challenge, McAdams rekindled her love for running, experiencing it with a fresh perspective. “Training for my first ultra felt magical,” she explains. “It was exciting and reminiscent of my childhood curiosity about the sport. I wanted to embrace the joy of running again.”
As the documentary nears its release, McAdams has ambitious plans to continue both her running and her photography. She intends to return to the ultra-running scene, capturing the experiences of fellow athletes whom she now considers friends. “The key takeaway from my experiences and my community is quite simple: it’s about enjoying the process,” McAdams emphasises. “What truly matters is whether you’re having fun. I want my projects and my running to inspire curiosity and joy.”
*Learning to Fly* is set to hit theatres on August 21 before becoming available for streaming on Prime Video in September, providing audiences with a poignant view of resilience and passion through the lens of a multi-talented individual.