A mini documentary on the ways adaptive athletes are pushing the boundaries in sport and how innovation is supporting them to move with confidence.
Around
300,000
Canadians live with a spinal cord injury.
1,000 new cases occur each year.
1,000 new cases occur each year.
In a wheelchair, up to
0%
of body weight is borne by just 8% of the body,
often leading to pressure injures.
0%
In a recent survey nearly
of adaptive athletes reported at least one sport-related injury in the previous year.
Wounds, pressure injuries, burns, and blisters can develop anywhere the body contacts mobility equipment. In athletes, wounds can escalate due to reduced circulation and mobility, friction, sweat, and heat.
Skin in the game
About The Film
Skin in The Game was filmed by NanoTess in 2026 with the support of adaptive athletes, coaches, innovators, and the spinal cord injury community in Canada and beyond.
It highlights the resilience of adaptive athletes and the unique relationship they have with the sports the pursue, the teams they compete in, and the communities they form.
It also looks at one of the hidden challenges faced by many adaptive athletes: wounds.
Skin in The Game is proudly presented by NanoTess and features voices from some of our most valued and inspirational partners: Bowhead Corp, the Fernie Gravel Grind, Adaptive Waterski and Wakeboard Canada, Wheelchair Sports Alberta, and SCI Alberta.
Watch now
SKIN IN THE GAME
Train Hard. Heal Fast. Be Unstoppable.
Adaptive Mountain Biking
Adaptive mountain bikers at the Fernie Gravel Grind take on kilometers of mountain terrain, many of them powered by state of the art adaptive bikes from Calgary-based Bowhead Corp. Founder Christian Bagg is an adaptive mountain bike athlete himself.
Adaptive Watersports
Canadian National Adaptive Waterski Athlete Kendra Erhardt competes at the highest level and is a medalist in her sport. She is also a peer support worker with Spinal Cord Injury Alberta. In this role, she inspires her community to find new ways to move by trying adaptive sports.
Wheelchair Team Sports
Kasey Aiello plays with the Calgary Inferno wheelchair rugby team and has represented Team Canada in the Women’s World Cup for Wheelchair Rugby. She knows how wounds can affect players at all levels and she strives to support her community with advanced wound care to keep them in the game.
SKIN IN THE GAME
Featuring voices from some of our most inspirational partners
Filmed and Directed by Riggs Vergara
For screening opportunities, please contact sharon.c@nanotess.com
Heal One Heal Another
Compassionate care and community action are at the heart of everything we do at NanoTess.