‘Life moves forward': Docuseries centred on former Humboldt Bronco Ryan Straschnitzki premieres in Regina
Ryan Straschnitzki, one of the 13 survivors of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, is the subject of a new docuseries that follows his attempt to make Canada's national sledge hockey team before switching sports.
The series, We Were Broncos, had its premiere in Regina Wednesday night. Speaking with CTV News, Straschnitzki explained that he was initially hesitant to participate in the series.
'The more I thought about, the more I thought it could be good exposure for adaptive sports, my journey and kind of a thank you to let people know that from their support I was able to be in this position and continue to strive for the paralympics,' he explained.
The six-part series documents the partially paralyzed hockey player's attempt to make the national sled hockey team and an unexpected turn.
'So, I got cut from the national sled hockey team and my entire life revolved around getting cut from sports teams, so I knew that the next step was continuing to move forward,' Staschnitzki explained.
'That's all I was ever taught. My dad taught me that and so my next path forward, my next open door was wheelchair basketball.'
The series airs Monday nights on the AMI cable channel and streams on AMI Plus.
'One of the things that we've been able to do is work across Canada with production companies – reflecting content with people with disabilities,' Vice President of AMI, John Melville, explained.
The series is the creation of Regina television producer Lucas Frison.
'I have a personal connection with the Humboldt crash because I was best friends with Mark Cross, the assistant coach who died in the crash,' Frison explained. 'So, its always something that's close to me, I've always been following Ryan's journey from afar.'
Straschnitzki is pleased with how the television series turned out.
'It's a part of life. Its something that happened that I wish I could take back – but life moves forward,' he said.
'Try to live your best life and do it in memory of them and everyone we lost that day. So, it's a lot of mixed emotions but a lot of it is that push and that drive to move forward from them.'
While Straschnitzki is now focused on wheelchair basketball, he hasn't given up on his love for hockey. He's considering a return one day as a sled hockey coach.
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