William Corlett vividly recalls the moment when his ambitious quest to run 500 kilometers through the Blue Mountains in just seven days seemed on the brink of collapse. In the early morning hours, enveloped in darkness by a remote creek, he was still 40 kilometers from the designated finish line for that leg.
“I was totally done,” Mr. Corlett confessed. “The only physical way out was to keep going — we were forced to continue, and that was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”
More than a year after completing his journey, which also served as a fundraiser for Lifeline, the 21-year-old reflects on that challenging night with a sense of triumph. “Jet and I both look back at that night and go, ‘Wow, that was one of the best nights of our lives,'” he said.
The Documentary’s Global Impact
Corlett, a local from Katoomba, charted a course through hundreds of kilometers of trails, a route he named “King of the Mountains.” His every step was captured by camera crews, resulting in a documentary that shares the same title. The film premiered this week in Katoomba, the heart of the mountains, and has already garnered nominations at six international film festivals.
Winning the best documentary award at the Next Level International Film Festival in Sydney, “King of the Mountains” has been recognized at several other prestigious events, including Italy’s Paladino, the world’s oldest sports film festival.
Grassroots Effort and Community Support
The documentary was a grassroots effort, spearheaded by Blue Mountains-based director and producer Romain Mongin. “The film captured a group of young people attempting something great,” Mongin explained. “If William was a 40-year-old athlete with millions of dollars and sponsors behind him, maybe the story wouldn’t be as interesting because it wouldn’t be as real.”
Corlett was supported by a crew of up to 20 friends and family members who cooked for him, set up his tent each night, and tended to his running injuries. The wider Blue Mountains business community also contributed, providing financial support and supplies. A butcher from Wentworth Falls donated meat, while a Katoomba green grocer supplied fruit and vegetables.
“The fact I had mates who could stay out with me all week and who were able to take time off work and set up camp — exactly where I plan to finish each run each day — made it fantastic,” Corlett said. “There was no hotels, there was none of that, food was brought to me wherever I was.”
Celebrating the Blue Mountains Landscape
According to Mongin, another reason for the documentary’s international appeal is its celebration of the Blue Mountains’ unique landscape. “To show them the landscape that’s totally alien almost, I think that probably really drew people to it,” he noted.
The film explores the “strangeness” of the bush as a place of stillness and peace, a key element that resonates with audiences. “[William] really wanted to get a message out there for young people to get out there in the bush and experience it and use it as a catharsis for mental health,” Mongin said. “Throughout his young life he experienced a lot of it and has constructed ways to manage it.”
“That’s how he lives his life, he’s constantly running in the bush. I’m calling him every day and he’s somewhere where there’s no reception and I felt like, for him, it was such an important part of the story.”
Inspiration and Future Prospects
Corlett believes the film demonstrates the power of overcoming “impossible” challenges. His story and the documentary have not only inspired audiences worldwide but have also spotlighted the therapeutic benefits of nature and physical endurance.
As the film continues to make waves on the international circuit, it brings with it a message of resilience, community spirit, and the awe-inspiring beauty of the Blue Mountains. The journey of William Corlett, as captured in “King of the Mountains,” stands as a testament to the extraordinary feats achievable through determination and support.
