More about "With Wings to Fly" - The documentary
The story of a champion pigeon racer
Jay Robin Sparrow was an accomplished athlete from a large and loving family. At 18, a car accident left him a quadriplegic. On the brink of suicide, his mother searched for a way to keep his hope and spirit alive. When she got him involved in the highly competitive sport of pigeon racing everything changed. Over the next 20 years, this mother/son team grew into formidable, world renown champions.
- "... one of the outstanding documentaries of the year..." Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Documentary screening committee
- Screened with Academy Award winners and nominees at the Contemporary Documentary Series, UCLA
- International Documentary Association's DocTober Film Festival
- Awarded Independents in Flight - IFP (Independent Feature Project) International flights
- "Inspiring" Booklist
- "Terrific" School Library Journal
- Fairfax Film Festival
- Housed in the Margaret Herrick Library - Academy of Motion Picture Research
"With Wings to Fly" Recognition
"With Wings to Fly" was an indie film and a passion project. When I first met Jay Sparrow and his mother, Marjo, I was hooked on this remarkable mother-son team who demonstrated deep devotion to each other as teammates in the eclectic sport of pigeon racing. By the time I met Jay, he was already a wheelchair bound, C-4 quadriplegic. It was the day after his 19th birthday when Jay was paralyzed in a car accident, ending his participation and passion for physical sports, training and competition. Jay's future looked bleak until he was introduced to the highly competitive sport of pigeon racing. Courageously, Jay cultivated a new outlook on life, and with Marjo at his side, Jay soared to the top of his game, earning the coveted title of champion multiple times and international acclaim. - Sharon Farrell
Photo: Sharon with Marjo Sparrow at Different From What? Film Festival, Tempe, Arizona, 2010 - Screening "With Wings to Fly"