LAWRENCE, Indiana — A conversation between friends at a gym in Lawrence led to a documentary that will be featured on the streaming service Peacock this week.
"I remember being in the corner right here, filming, and you were just spotting with your blue shirt on," said Sam Mirpoorian, director and producer.
It's fun for these two to reminisce, looking back to the pre-pandemic months they spent together creating a documentary.
"Sonnie" is about Deon Casey.
"I got the nickname 'Sonnie' from my grandmother because that was my dad's nickname, actually," Casey said.
The nearly-10-minute tale reveals Casey's early struggles.
"I lost my parents at the age of two due to drug addiction, which made, you know, growing up without parents very difficult," said Casey.
And it's part of what Casey shared with Mirpoorian, a gym friend, who was on the next treadmill over.
"I'm like 'you really don't know this part about me,'" said Casey.
"Those aren't like everyday details that someone's going to disclose," said Mirpoorian. "Those are pretty private, you know, things that you keep to yourself. So I just felt like it was a very, like, personal moment where we had that trust in that relationship. And at some point, I was like, 'Let me just take a big camera in your face and go from there.'"
From his job at the Benjamin Harrison YMCA, to his dad duties, Casey talks about his life and his mental health.
"By having (a child) so young, I feel like we grow together. Before now, I was making a lot of immature decisions. One of them got me locked up for selling narcotics," Casey said.
"When my grandmother passed, I was diagnosed with depression," said Casey.
"His escape, his therapy was going to the gym," Mirpoorian said.
"Yep," said Casey. "And I think a lot of kids ... tend to hold a lot of stuff, builds up and they don't know how to express themselves. So another thing I was just trying to show them that, like, I express my feelings through the gym."
"I think it's just inspirational," Mirpoorian said. "I think this story and this message is just all across the United States and even across the globe. Kids, young adults working out trying to figure out where their mental fortitude can derive from."
Casey says people can change.
"Yes, for sure. At any age. I truly believe people get worse from the worst life conditions. But change starts with you, you know, I mean it starts in here," Casey said.
And his motivation is his son.
"I made the change not just for myself, but for him, because I don't want him to go without," Casey said.
It's a simple story, and it's resonating, playing in 40 festivals nationwide, winning three regional Emmys and now featured on NBCLX.
"I'm definitely proud," Casey said. "Like, I watched at least like 200 times. And my son loves it. My son loves it."
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