Projects

The Story of Megan Jacoby - Season 1 & 2

How do you tell a story when you don’t know the ending yet? Let's see... What it is about? This 6-part documentary series follows Megan Jacoby, HYROX World Champion 2024, on what became the most personal and unexpected chapter of her career. Her goal was to defend her title. But in November 2024, she needed back surgery. So this story turned out to not be about winning, but through injury, healing, self-doubt, love and ultimate transformation. Set across Germany, Cyprus, US & UK the series captures the intense highs and lows of an elite athlete trying to get back to the World Championships. But when her body says no, Megan faces the hardest decision of all: to show up at the start line or at the big race or to listen to her body. Through powerful visuals, raw voiceovers and deeply human moments, this is not a story about medals. It’s about showing up when it hurts. Leading by example. Finding purpose beyond performance. And redefining what it really means to be a champion. From comeback to clarity: this is not just a sports documentary. It’s a love letter to resilience, to community & to the long game.

What was special?

This was not a retrospective film. It was shot and released in real time. We started publishing monthly episodes. As the season intensified, releases became weekly to allow the audience to experience the uncertainty alongside her. We didn’t know how the story would end either. We were discovering it while filming & editing Production places: Germany (Würzburg, Schweinfurt, Frankfurt, Cologne), Cyprus (Paphos), US (New York, Las Vegas, Chicago & UK (London, Birmingham).

What the series captures: • HYROX as a sport and global movement • Doctor appointments & the aftermath of back surgery • Physio and the rebuilding of physical strength • Video diaries, texts & interviews revealing the psychological pressure of defending a title • HYROX races around the world • The tension between ambition and recovery • The internal conflict: push through or protect longevity?

Core Themes • Injury & recovery in elite sport • The cost of high performance • Love & partnership behind the scenes • Self-doubt & public expectation • Longevity vs. short-term success • Redefining strength and leadership

Episode Breakdown

The Setback

It begins with telling her full life story & career path & the Hyrox 24/25 season begins with uncertainty. Back surgery, pressure for World Championships & the emotional reality of starting over.

The Comeback Begins

Days after surgery, video diaries & podcast reflections, frustration gets more, Reha & Physiotherapie Appointments & its about rebuilding trust in the body, adjusting expectations, first trainings sessions.

My Reason to Grind

Telling her story as a mum, her why (her daughter), interview with daughter, being sidelined in Las Vegas at the HYROX. There she discovers her passion for moderation. Around it, her training intensifies, but same as her doubts and belief which exist side by side.

Back to Racing

Return to competition in cologne, Birmingham ESN Games, London, insights about the sport & how it evolves, the emotional weight of stepping back to the race floor.

The Dark side of my HYROX prep

The external expectations rise & the internal questions grow louder. This Ep. is full of emotions, tears, Physio in Cyprus & its shows what it means to be an elite athlete. This episode doesn’t romanticise anything.

The Final Chapter: HYROX World Championships 2025

Here the final shift comes into play: She decided to not race. So it follows her her to the World Championships in Chicago. There the viewer gets insights behind the scenes of sponsor shootings with brands like PUMA, Amazfit & Centr. All in all you can really feel her relief for takes that decision and choosing her health over a title. Ending of the series 1 and HYROX Season 24/25.

How we made it

This entire series was produced by the two of us. No agency structure, no production crew, no fixed studio for interviews. We filmed with two Sony FX3 bodies, mainly the Sigma 24–70mm and Sony 16–35mm. Most interviews were built in whatever space we had: apartments Airbnbs, hotel rooms, quiet corners of gyms, outside etc. Sometimes with almost no prep time at all.We switched from Final Cut and Premiere to DaVinci Resolve right before starting this project. It was the first time we fully committed to it and it immediately became the biggest production we had ever taken on. Music was licensed through Lense Distortion, Epidemic Sound and Licked, and the entire post-production was handled in-house. There was no long-term production plan while the trips were often organized just days in advance. And the races swell as the pain & emotions unfolded unpredictably. The biggest challenge wasn’t the technical side, because it was narrative clarity.

Impact & Recognition

We are really proud that this series resonated far beyond the HYROX community. It sparked conversations about injury, pressure and identity. This season 1 received an award at the ICP Entertainment Film Festival in New York in 2025. What This Project Changed for Us: This project shaped the foundation of CINERY. It confirmed something we had felt before but never fully articulated: For us, filmmaking is not about controlled environments or perfect setups. It’s about staying present in unpredictable moments & about protecting honesty in storytelling & we had so much more experience with cinematic lighting & grading than before. Season 1 was the most demanding project we had ever created.It was also the one that felt the most aligned. Season 2 is now in production: continuing the story, in real time again.

Season 2 is coming soon...