INSIDE AN ATHLETE'S HEAD gives you unprecedented access to the thoughts, anxieties and obsessions of some of Canada's more compelling Olympic athletes through unique and stunning cinematography.
She’s one of Canada’s most recognizable athletes, but being a two-time Olympic champion doesn’t absolve you from anxiety and doubt. From childhood bullies, to conflicting takes on her body image, to second-guessing every stray thought, Kaillie takes us on a tour of her mind as she prepares for the trials of the Olympic games.
The son of a three-time Grey Cup Champion and Hall of Famer Neil Lumsden, Jesse Lumsden was born with athletic prowess, and was on his way to following his father’s footsteps. Then injuries stepped in. Three career-threatening shoulder injuries and a blown knee forced the standout running back out of the only career path he had known. But Jesse couldn’t put competition behind him. He refocused and found a new calling – bobsleigh. Now, as part of a two-man and four-man team, Jesse’s endzone is an Olympic podium. And if there’s anyone who can drive through adversity it’s Jesse.
As she lay on the ice with a broken leg after a fluke accident in practice, Kaetlyn Osmond was just beginning to realize the damage that had been done. This frank and intimate look at Kaetlyn’s recovery shares not only the physical challenges, but the mental journey that few athletes are willing to share. Every return to the ice brought fear of another injury. Asking for help and silencing self-doubt turned out to be the biggest obstacle.
Sometimes it feels like overcoming adversity will lead to success. But sometimes it just leads to more adversity. Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis months before the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Spencer O'Brien needed to augment her physical toughness with a new level of mental toughness. In this introspective short film, Spencer explores overcoming discrimination, loneliness, injury, and illness to become an Olympian and an ambassador for her First Nations community.
NBA star DeMar DeRozan shares the emotions, the isolation, and the hard choices that have come with pro basketball.
He's been called a pest. An agitator. A rat. But in order to help his team win, NHLer Nazem Kadri has had to embrace playing the villain, and get used to being the guy other teams love to hate.
She's been told she's "too pretty" for boxing, but in fight after fight, Jelena Mrdjenovich has left blood, sweat, and tears in the ring in order to become a champion.
Nathan Shepherd had dreams of making the NFL. But it became clear it wasn’t going to be the story he imagined.
At 41, marathon runner Krista DuChene knows that each race could be her last. Now, more than ever, she has to listen to what her body’s trying to tell her.
There are no easy matches in wrestling. The workouts are brutal, the competition is fierce, and you get taken down over and over again. What makes Erica Wiebe keep getting up?
For Melissa Humana-Paredes, every match brings new pressure to make sure the hard work of her partner and the sacrifices of her parents are not wasted.
Growing up with alopecia was tough, but it taught Olivia Apps how to be happy with the body she had. As someone who doesn’t have a classic rugby player body, that’s come in handy.
