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In the mountain town of Canmore, Alberta, where weathered peaks loom large and the wilderness breathes with quiet intensity, a film has emerged that earns the attention it is receiving. Trailblazing: The Matt Hadley Story, a 27-minute documentary by filmmaker Kim Logan, has garnered national recognition, winning the Golden Sheaf Award in the Documentary POV category at the Yorkton Film Festival. The film traces the remarkable path of Matt Hadley, a former elite mountain biker and trail builder whose life shifted dramatically following an accident in 2019.
His story is presented with restraint, dignity and emotional depth that lingers long after the credits fade.
Logan, who lives in Canmore, first encountered Matt’s story through local media coverage. The details were striking: a Canadian athlete injured while hiking in Utah, the loss of his leg, and a recovery marked by an extraordinary return to the outdoors. But what drew her in was not simply the event itself but Hadley’s refusal to be defined by it.
“His story stayed with me,” she reflects. “There was honesty in it and a quiet force. I saw in it the potential to not only impact local audiences but to speak to something wider, something deeply human.”
The film, which was supported by TELUS Storyhive, McElhanney and the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, explores Hadley’s transition from elite athlete to adaptive innovator. A national-level competitor in cross-country mountain biking and a highly respected trail builder, Hadley had long shaped the outdoor experience of others, carving lines into landscapes, designing routes across ridgelines, and working professionally in terrain that demands both vision and stamina.
The 2019 accident could have marked the end of that chapter, but it did not. Instead, Hadley chose to respond with characteristic resolve. His limb was gone, yes, but his identity as a builder, explorer and thinker remained firmly intact.
“I realised very quickly,” Hadley says, “that if I wanted to continue doing the things I loved, I would have to think differently: adapt, modify, create my own solutions.”
And so he did. With no ready-made equipment to meet his needs, Hadley turned to what he knew: his workshop. Collaborating with prosthetists from Calgary, he began designing and modifying gear to get back into the activities he cherished: rock climbing, backcountry skiing, trail construction. His approach was built on design, experimentation and a refusal to wait for permission.
In capturing this, Logan spent time with Hadley before filming began, gaining an understanding of both the technical and emotional terrain of his experience. When it came to filming, she made sure that pace, tone and narrative were guided by mutual trust rather than dramatic structure.
“It was essential that Matt was fully involved,” she explains. “We collaborated closely and that informed every decision. My role was to determine how we could tell his story in the most compelling and respectful way.”
Hadley agrees. He was involved in the editing process, watched early cuts, and provided feedback that helped refine the direction of the film. One moment, in particular, stands out: a private screening of the rough cut with his son Graham.
“I saw him laugh. I saw him moved. And at the end of the night, he said it was phenomenal,” Logan recalls. “I closed the door behind them and cried from the sheer relief of knowing we had told this story well and truthfully.”
What emerges in Trailblazing is a portrait of recalibration, not struggle. There is no emphasis on loss, but rather on ingenuity. Hadley’s modified prosthetics, adapted gear, and continued contributions to trail building shows what it looks like to move forward with creativity and purpose driven by action, not emotion.
Yet the film also acknowledges the role of community: the friends, colleagues and outdoor network in Canmore who rallied around Hadley during his recovery. Fundraisers were organized. Expertise was shared, emotional support was constant and while Hadley carried the physical weight of the experience, he never had to do so alone.
“It’s important to remember,” Logan adds, “that recovery isn’t something that happens in isolation. It’s a team effort. That network around Matt, it mattered!”
Indeed, Hadley himself highlights that while the physical transition was demanding, the psychological shift was just as complex. Chronic pain, difficulty with prosthetic use, and an initial lack of access to adaptive resources all played a role. But none of these were allowed to define the endpoint.
“You figure it out,” he says plainly. “If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way.”
Perhaps this is where Trailblazing strikes its most resonant chord. It challenges preconceived ideas of ability and brings to the forefront the power of determination. It offers no false comfort and presents no singular formula for recovery. Instead, it asks viewers to reconsider what persistence looks like and what it can accomplish.
After losing his leg, Matt faced a recovery that extended far beyond healing. Off-the-shelf prosthetics didn’t meet the demands of his lifestyle but instead of stepping back, he stepped into his workshop. His approach wasn’t passive or reactive, it was deeply hands-on. The result? Matt returned to the outdoors but he also creatively redesigned his access to it. In doing so, he pushed the conversation around mobility and outdoor sport in a direction few had taken.
As Kim Logan put it: “He’s like MacGyver. There were no existing adaptations for the things he wanted to do, so he created them.”
That spirit: equal parts builder, athlete and problem-solver, is what sets his story apart. It’s not a comeback defined by triumph over loss. It’s a profound story of design thinking, self-determination and innovation born from necessity.
The film is now touring festivals internationally, with upcoming screenings in Slovakia and Colorado. Hopes remain high that it will be selected by the Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival, a goal close to Hadley’s heart, given his connection to the local outdoor community.
As Trailblazing continues to reach new audiences, Logan and Hadley hope its core message remains with viewers: when life’s knocks you down, there’s a way forward if you are open to adapting and evolving.
Learn more about the film:
https://www.kimnlogan.com/trailblazingfilm
Watch the trailer:
Trailblazing: The Matt Hadley Story https://vimeo.com/1054692607
Read more about Matt:
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