Eaton back in C. Oregon for documentary premiere

He won the Olympic gold medal in the decathlon last year; he won the world title this year. And now, Central Oregon’s own Ashton Eaton, the “world’s greatest athlete”. says he’s ready for a break.

“It’s been a long three years,” Eaton told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday evening. “I’ve been going since 2011, 2012, 2013. And that takes a big mental toll — more than I think it does — and a big physical toll. And I’m only getting older (he laughed), so I need a break.”

But not before visiting Sisters Wednesday night for the premiere of “48 Hours to Fame” — a new documentary featuring Eaton and fellow USA decathlon teammate Trey Hardee.

“I think it’s important for people to kind of see the camaraderie, because while I am competing against Trey and his is competing against me, we really try to help each other,” Eaton said.

Interviews, not a problem. But Eaton says making a movie — that was different. Filmmaker Andrew Brereton from Atlanta followed his every move.

“They started filming, and I didn’t know what it was going to be. They asked, ‘Can we follow you around at practice? Can we interview you at your house? Can we drive to Bend and talk to your mom?’ And I was like, ‘I guess?’ But it ended up turning into a cool deal,” Eaton said.

“This is going to be something really cool that could increase exposure,” he added. “And it’s not just because I want everybody in the world to do the decathlon. I just want people to know that track and field is really cool, and an event that people might not know about is also really cool.”

Even though he’s on a break now, Eaton still has his sights set on the next big thing.

“(The competition years of) 2015,2016, and 2017 are the big three again, where you have worlds, Olympics, worlds. And having just gone through that, and knowing how I feel now, there is a big regrouping phase that needs to happen,” he said.

Though it’s called “48 Hours to Fame,” Eaton says his success can’t be measured in hours or a couple of days, but most of a lifetime.

“I think it’s taken my whole life to be prepared for that 48 hours,” he said. “And that success took a long time to achieve.”

All of the money raised from the viewing at the Sisters Movie House Wednesday night will go to the Sparrow Clubs of Central Oregon, a non-profit empowering kids to help other kids in medical need.

To watch the preview of the documentary, visit http://vimeo.com/73714064