Former Christendom College Athletics Director Tom Vander Woude’s heroic life is the focus of a powerful new documentary released this week by Zeale. Titled The Legacy of Tom Vander Woude, the film tells the story of the beloved husband, father, coach, and mentor whose final act of selfless love continues to inspire people around the world.
Vander Woude, who served as Christendom College’s athletic director from 2002 to 2007, died on September 8, 2008, while saving his 19-year-old son, Joseph, who had fallen into the family’s septic tank at their home in Nokesville, Virginia. Without hesitation, Vander Woude jumped in after his son and held him above the surface until help arrived, sacrificing his own life in the process. His heroic act of fatherly love has become a powerful witness to the Gospel and to Christ’s teaching that “no greater love has a man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
Produced by Zeale, The Legacy of Tom Vander Woude documentary goes beyond the story of Vander Woude’s final moments, revealing his ordinary heroism that was evident long before that fateful day. The documentary features interviews with Vander Woude’s wife and sons, along with members of Christendom’s staff and faculty, as they share and explore his incredible legacy of devotion to God and family.
Interest in Vander Woude’s life and sacrifice has continued to grow in recent years, leading to the formation of the Tom Vander Woude Guild to promote his cause for sainthood. Christendom’s home Diocese of Arlington has also taken preliminary steps toward opening his cause, appointing both a postulator and vice postulator to investigate and promote it. This new documentary introduces Vander Woude’s story to a wider audience at a time when interest in his life, virtue, and potential cause for canonization continues to grow.
The release of The Legacy of Tom Vander Woude comes just months after Vander Woude was posthumously honored with the St. Gianna Molla Award for Pro-Life Heroism, recognizing his witness of sacrificial love. Named for St. Gianna Molla, the Italian physician who chose to carry her child to term despite a life-threatening illness, the St. Gianna Molla Award honors individuals who demonstrate heroic virtue in defense of the sanctity of human life, often through profound personal sacrifice.
Nearly eighteen years after his passing, Vander Woude’s legacy continues to inspire people around the world and remains deeply woven into the life of Christendom College. His name and portrait are displayed at the entrance to the basketball court in St. Louis the Crusader Gymnasium, serving as a daily reminder of heroic virtue to student-athletes and visitors alike. A scholarship established in his honor continues to help student-athletes attend and excel at Christendom as well, while his family’s connection to the college endures, with six grandchildren now alumni and three currently enrolled.
Watch The Legacy of Tom Vander Woude below.
