Hi!
I'm Zoé Medranda, the director of Stride for Stride and a recent graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where I majored in film and television production. I am also an alumni of the prestigious Great Oak Cross Country and Track program. I have been making films for the past ten years and am very excited to share my first ever docuseries, Stride for Stride.
This is a docuseries that will be following Great Oak's top distance boys as they attempt to break records that were set nine years ago. Isaac Cortes, who graduated in 2016, holds two distance records, an 800 at 1:50.2 and a 1600m at 4:04.
This is the first time since those records have been set that top Great Oak distance boys are coming in close. As a junior, Jack Paradise ran a 1:52.43, 4th all-time at Great Oak, and Jacob Brown ran a 1:53.96, 8th all-time at Great Oak. Both have their eyes set on breaking the record in their senior season.
For the 1600m, Westin Brown ran a 4:08 as a junior and is top 3 all-time. Westin has also podium finished twice at the California State Championships, placing 5th sophomore year and 9th last year. He is looking for another podium finish and to shave a few seconds off of his 1600m time.
-- From left to right: Jacob Brown, Jack Paradise, Westin Brown --
I have wanted to make this docuseries since I ran in the program, so it is a dream come true to be making it now. As a Great Oak runner myself, I understand the weight of an athlete chasing success under the shadow of success. Will you let it become a burden, or will you use this legacy to fuel your fire?
This is an intimate look into Great Oak High School's track season, showing their triumphs and failures. I've been filming everything since the start of the season, including their morning practices, afternoon practices, weight room, time trial, meets, and everything you can think of.
I wanted to create something different from the usual High School running media coverage and show that anyone can be great at running. Day in and day out, I watch these Great Oak athletes train twice a day to improve. As I film them, I reflect on my high school career and remember that discipline is the name of the game.
I am a one-man band on this, filming, editing, interviewing, coloring, sound mixing, etc. I am dedicated to providing the best possible docuseries for the viewers and the most authentic look on a high school track and field season.
If you want to see more on the project and behind the scenes, follow me on Instagram and subscribe to my YouTube channel. Both are with the username @lifeofzzoe.
Tune in this Thursday (March 6th, 2025) to watch the first Stride for Stride episode, Chasing History!
Hope you enjoy!