43 DAYS. 3,000 MiLES. ROWiNG FOR THE LiVES OF OuR VETERANS.
A FiLM BY jASON STACK FEATURiNG robert owens
iN PARTNERSHiP WiTH THE COURAGE FOUNDATiON
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Robert Hamilton Owens isn’t your average 72-year-old. He’s a minister, motivational speaker, author, a father of five, and one of the world’s elite senior endurance athletes. He’s also an Air Force veteran deeply familiar with the psychological impacts of combat. So when his friend and Navy Seal veteran Mark Crampton died of suicide in April of 2022, he felt called to raise awareness and funds to fight this crisis that’s killing no less than 17 people a day.
His mission - a 3,000-mile journey in a rowboat across the Atlantic Ocean. Three hours rowing, three hours resting for 43 days and nights. Battling constantly changing weather, days-long storms, sleep deprivation, and near-cosmic isolation out at sea, Robert lays it all bare in this humbling story of human perseverance, and reminds us that you are never too old to pursue your dreams. The film also shines a spotlight on the sacrifices made by those in uniform and the urgent need for resources to help veterans suffering from PTSD.
The ultimate goal of One Is Too Many is to break your heart and compel you to make an impact. Robert took on this challenge to raise funds for The Courage Foundation - a non-profit devoted to providing military veterans with the tools to combat PTSD and restore purpose in their lives. If we help just one person because of this film, we will have succeeded. Click on the link to donate today. Your generosity has the power to save lives.
DiRECTOR'S STATEMENT
In September of 2022, a good friend asked me if I wanted to make a documentary about a septuagenarian rowing across the Atlantic Ocean for a noble cause. Knowing this was the best opportunity to create something outside of the limiting confines of a thirty second promo, I jumped enthusiastically. Two months later, I interviewed Robert, and as he says in the film, “there was no turning back”. I started down the path of a documentary filmmaker.
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I’ve always wanted to tell human interest stories - especially those that have the potential to make lasting change. With One Is Too Many, we had the chance to tell a story that is both inspiring and heartbreaking. Robert's row was probably his most difficult challenge to date, but we both knew that it doesn't compare to what veterans go through every day. A new battle begins back at home once a veteran's tour is over. Their pain is real, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s far more widespread than I knew before I started making this film.
My hope is that One Is Too Many makes you stop and think about the staggering numbers of veterans who are taking their lives each day, and the people that are left behind in the wake of each tragic death. We can do more.
