We are pleased to share that the documentary I Will Not Retire is now available to watch online on the 3Cat platform, following its broadcast premiere on Esport3 during the Christmas holidays.
Directed by Alex Mas Alcoberro and produced by Horizontal Films, this 25-minute documentary follows four remarkable athletes whose passion for orienteering proves that ambition does not fade with age — it deepens.
Racing beyond limits
Biel Ràfols (38, Spain), a former Spanish champion; John Embrey (65, UK), a passionate newcomer; Linda Take (52, Sweden), a veteran of the Swedish national team; and Sole Nieminen (98, Finland), the world’s oldest active competitor, converge in Girona, Spain, for the World Masters Orienteering Championships.
Among 2,500 athletes from 46 countries, their journeys unfold across five demanding races that test endurance, clarity of thought, resilience, and purpose.
Through candid reflections, the athletes reveal how orienteering mirrors life itself: mistakes are inevitable, getting lost is part of the journey, and what truly matters is the determination to keep moving forward.
For Linda Take, the sport has been a lifelong training ground in strategy and rapid decision-making. For Biel Ràfols and John Embrey, it becomes a metaphor for navigating life’s unexpected turns. And in one of the film’s most moving moments, Sole Nieminen recalls how running became an emotional lifeline during decades spent caring for her ill husband. For her, competition and companionship were not escape — they were survival.
A celebration of endurance and purpose
As the terrain grows tougher and the races more intense, the four athletes share a quiet conviction: life only slows down if you allow it. Each stride becomes a declaration — I will not retire.
I Will Not Retire
Documentary | 25 minutes | 2026
Director: Alex Mas Alcoberro
Production Company: Horizontal Films (Spain)
A Horizontal Films Media production in collaboration with the Federació de Curses d’Orientació de Catalunya.
Featuring Sole Nieminen, Biel Ràfols, John Embrey, Linda Take and Pau Llorens.
Camera operators Álvaro Ciudad and Alex Mas Alcoberro, with drone footage by Delfí Roca.
Production assistance Aniol Bisquert, translators Kaisu Piirtu and Tiina Uotila.
Motion graphics Peter van der Zee, post-production assistant Nil Vives, sound mix Marcos Cabal.