Film Review of Trailblazing: The Matt Hadley Story
Emerging Alberta-based filmmaker Kim Logan’s new documentary, Trailblazing: The Matt Hadley Story, tells the inspiring Canadian story of a local legend.
Matt Hadley grew up in the country on a dead-end road in New Brunswick. There weren’t many mountain biking trails around, so he and his brother started building them.
“Growing up with Matt was an adventure all the time,” Adam, Matt’s brother, says. “We were always outside.”
Hadley was three years old when he first rode a bike. Something about the sport immediately clicked for him.
He achieved awards and accolades for elite mountain biking alongside his wife Catherine Vipond. He eventually accepted his dream job as a trail builder in Canmore, Alberta. “It’s so creative and you really get to leave an experience on the landscape,” he says of his vocation.
Hadley’s life was irrevocably changed when a rock the size of a volleyball fell 150 metres off a cliff and smashed into his femur in 2019. The resulting injury caused him to lose his leg, but luckily, not his life.
“The accident wasn’t just something that happened to Matt. Catherine was there going through it all, too,” Adam says, adding that she saved his life.
Over six weeks in the hospital, during which he had 10 surgeries, Hadley didn’t have time to be depressed—he was in survival mode. But returning home made him realize his life had changed and was going to be a challenge.
In Trailblazing, we witness the human spirit of perseverance and a deep love of the outdoors, despite facing setbacks, changes and barriers.
Hadley is honest about his struggles, admitting there were “definitely some dark, challenging times thinking about loss.” But he looked forward, knowing he couldn’t change what happened.
Logan approached Hadley about the project, uncertain “whether [he would be] willing to resurface those feelings about a big traumatic life event for the greater good. Thankfully, he was extremely open and collaborative about the entire process.”
In the film, we watch Hadley cycle and ski with one leg like a badass, design his own prosthetic because what he wanted wasn’t out there and find freedom once again on a bike.
“What kept me motivated during my long recovery process was just the desire to get back outside and be able to climb mountains,” Hadley says. “I’d always had such a connection with nature that I needed to get back out there.”
Logan hopes to honour Hadley’s significant contributions to the local Bow Valley community through the film—he’s made trails safer, more accessible and fun. She also hopes to spark conversations about who is welcome in the outdoors while challenging preconceived notions of who can experience the mountains.
“Trailblazing is not just a film for the adaptive community or the outdoor community. It speaks to a wider audience with universal themes of overcoming hardship. We’ve all faced challenges in our life. . . when you’re having a bad day, think of Matt and channel his positivity, mindset and approach to life. Use that for inspiration to overcome whatever hurdle you’re facing.”
Watch Trailblazing make its world premiere at the prestigious Yorkton Film Festival, May 22-24 in Saskatchewan.
