In 2015, former professional freeskier Jamie Crane-Mauzy almost died at a World Tour Finals competition in Whistler, British Columbia. Her double-backflip-gone-wrong led to a 10-day coma and a brain stem injury that temporarily paralyzed her right side. 

Flash forward to 2020, and the 27-year-old is fully recovered, happily skiing again, and ready to inspire others—especially trauma survivors—through her upcoming documentary, Alternative Peaks. The film focuses on Crane-Mauzy’s experience but also features other athletes who’ve overcome major setbacks—like Noah Elliott, a local snowboarder and skateboarder who had his leg amputated due to cancer and went on to win gold and bronze at the PyeongChang 2018 Paralympic Winter Games. 

Crane-Mauzy’s path to recovery was not without a tremendous amount of struggle along the way, of course. She attributes her success to having a strong support system and maintaining a growth mindset with the belief that “anything can change and evolve.” 

“I say I was climbing a peak and I got caught in an avalanche and I came careening down,” Crane-Mauzy says. “Then I was at the bottom and I had the choice to stay stuck and sit there, or I had a choice to climb an alternative peak.” That alternative peak metaphor became the impetus for her film. “I honestly think now my peak is higher and I have more positive impact to give to more people.” 

Alternative Peaks is still in production as of press time, but Crane-Mauzy projects a summer 2020 release. Once the movie is out, she has her sights set on film festivals and a speaking tour to visit hospitals, trauma centers, and education facilities.