Paralympian Tyler Turner rediscovers the joy of hockey as host of new adaptive sports TV series “All In”

OTTAWA – Tyler Turner has raced down icy Paralympic snowboard courses, jumped from airplanes, and as demonstrated in his outstanding new adaptive sports TV series “All In” is always game to try more of the world’s most challenging sports.

But in that series, which premiered last month on AMI TV and is available online HERE, returning to hockey may have been the toughest challenge.

In one memorable scene, Turner’s snowboard technician builds adaptive skates for his prosthetics, allowing him to return to the ice comfortably. The result is a heartwarming moment as he takes to the ice for the first time since his accident. The joy on his face is sure to resonate with hockey-loving Canadians.

For Turner, the hockey episode carried an emotional weight unlike anything else featured in the series.

‘’Failure in that episode meant more than just that activity,’’ Turner told CPC during his visit to Ottawa at the end of May for the Team Canada Celebration.  ‘’[Hockey] was a bit of a lifestyle for me and something that I had done since I was a kid.’’

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Turner lost both legs below the knee in a skydiving accident in 2017, a freak crash after filming a guest complete their first tandem skydive from 10,000 feet.

He faced many challenges during a difficult recovery but has since returned to the skies as a skydiving instructor while continuing to excel in snowboarding.

Before the accident, hockey was a major part of Turner’s life. Returning to the ice years later with a new custom-built skate blade became one of the most personal moments of the show’s first season.

It touched something deeper than learning a new skill.

‘’The outcome was something that hit me deep personally,” he said. ‘’I really enjoyed that episode and I think it kind of stands alone from the other episodes because of how personal the sport was to me.’’

The other two episodes focus more on Turner’s mindset and courage as he tries free diving and bobsledding for the first time.

His free diving experience, for example, depended not only on adrenaline but on slowing down.

‘’You have to really control your breathing and be in the moment,’’ he said. ‘’I can take what I learned from that sport so much further into my life.’’

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It wasn’t Turner’s first TV experience. He was on The Amazing Race Canada in 2023, one of the country’s most popular TV shows, which raised his profile across Canada – and at the same time, showcased Paralympic sport.

‘’It’s slowly becoming more comfortable,’’ he said about being followed around by cameras while focusing on challenging activities. ‘’It’s fun and I enjoy learning new things. I enjoy pushing myself and that’s exactly what the camera does.

‘’Learning the industry and becoming host, putting yourself out there, that’s been the scariest part for me.’’

“All In” is designed to encourage Canadians to try new activities and push beyond their comfort zones.

‘’I hope people are enjoying it and getting some entertainment out of it and maybe being a little motivated to try out new sports themselves.’’

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