One of the newest members of our Proteam, surfer Jhonny Guerrero, is the main character in a short documentary that focuses on his journey from a barrio in his hometown of Lima, Peru to the wild waves at the Junior World Championships in Australia. The odds were stacked against this young talent, but with guidance from another local hero and a deep-seated passion for his sport, he overcame the obstacles to perform on an international stage. This is his story.

In this short film, Jhonny invites us into his life in Lima, where he lives with his family in a notorious barrio. At night, he dreams of making it to the top as a World Champion. It is this vivid dream and his fiery drive that help him manage the expectations that surround him and allow him to change the course of his life to lift his family out of poverty.

Jhonny’s talent was discovered when he was part of a Swatch program, Projecto Sofia Mulanovich, which aimed to get kids off the streets and give them a second chance at a happy, healthy life through surfing. With guidance from Sofia Mulanovich, a World Champion surfer from Peru, and the emotional support he received from his father after he was released from jail, Jhonny has the grit and confidence he needs to dominate local competitions and qualify for the Junior World Championships, inspiring his family, friends and neighbors from the barrio while he’s at it.

Jhonny’s story is one that proves that with passion and determination, anyone can achieve their goals no matter what obstacles they must overcome.

This short documentary was filmed by Adam Brown as part of a three-year collaboration with Swatch.