An Aspen Film “Science on Screen” event on Wednesday will put the spotlight on athletes' resilience as they recover from life-altering injuries on the slopes.
This month’s program will include a short film, “Day One,” about sit-skier Trevor Kennison, as well as a feature-length movie, “The Crash Reel,” about professional snowboarder Kevin Pearce’s recovery from a traumatic brain injury.
The event will also feature a conversation with Bridging Bionics founder and executive director Amanda Boxtel, who was paralyzed in a ski accident more than three decades ago.
Boxtel first used robotic exoskeleton technology to regain some of her mobility and walk again in 2010; a few years later, she launched a nonprofit to share that technology and similar devices with others who have neurological mobility impairments.
“To go through the fire and come out the other side, I feel that many of us do have that, but we don't realize it or recognize it until we're in it, and in the depths of challenge and adversity,” Boxtel said in an interview with Aspen Public Radio. “I really do feel, on the flip side, that trauma and adversity have the potential to help us grow and to steer us in an upward cycle.”
Boxtel said that “The Crash Reel” movie hit “close to home,” as it reminded her of her own experience and the ongoing challenges of recovery.
“There's a trigger warning here, because it's impactful for not only the athletes … but it's impactful for the families, caregivers,” she said. “This is a movie about love — and love and compassion beyond the injury.”
Boxtel believes the program can help people understand the complications of a traumatic injury — and what it takes to accept a new reality, both for the individual and those who care for them.
“There's room to be hopeful, after something tragic and traumatic,” she said.
According to Boxtel, the “Science on Screen” program will also include a demonstration of the exoskeleton technology that Bridging Bionics provides.
The event begins at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the Isis Theatre in Aspen. It’s part of an ongoing series Aspen Film is organizing this winter; another program in March will focus on the stories of women in science and technology.
