Bruce Cook began his professional motocross career in 2005, touring across Canada. In 2014, he joined Nitro Circus, which features world-class athletes and daredevils performing outrageous and risky stunts. His first show found him attempting the world’s first double front flip on a motorcycle and when the trick did not go as planned, Cook suffered a broken vertebra and a damaged spinal cord, resulting in paralysis. After regaining his strength and confidence, Cook was back on a modified bike and landed the world’s first backflip as a paraplegic, 10 months after his accident.

Bruce shares his experiences with friends, family and followers like an open book told in a stream of consciousness of hope, humour, and raw emotion. He cannot escape the enormity of daily life as it is faced by a paraplegic, but he is navigating his way through life with determination, enthusiasm and a lot of creativity.

While backpacking in Southeast Asia, 19-year-old Ashley King woke up sick, confused and, ultimately, blind.

After some research and recalling of events, Ashley learned about a nefarious practice in Bali wherein alcohol is distilled in amateur stills and passed off as the real thing in brand-name bottles. She had unwittingly drunk this vile solution, which led to her blindness. The next couple of years were spent in denial, depression, and suicidal thoughts, but Ashley decided that blindness was not going to define her but rather push her to pursue new ventures in life.

Ashley changed paths from drama to journalism, though she does continue to run a theatre, is a huge proponent of accessibility onstage, and is writing a play about her life. Ashley’s young life has certainly been interesting enough to warrant the story to be told.
 

Before breaking his back on the slopes during a distance jump competition, Christian Bagg was an apprenticing machinist: a young tinkerer, adventurer, and outdoorsman.

In 1996, he found himself experiencing life from a chair that neither fit his impressive six-foot-five frame, or his expansive personality. Eager not just to participate, but to excel at outdoor adventures, Bagg has spent the last 20 years designing and building adaptive equipment that aren’t merely functional, but transformative.

What started out as a way to solve his own problems grew into an outlet to help others experience the very outdoors that he loves so much. Christian lives in pursuit of greatness not only for himself, but for those around us. He builds a better future.