The making of “Where It Begins”

Every Paralympian’s journey starts somewhere 

A backyard rink in Forest. A trail in Salmon Arm. A gym in Montreal or a Para sport try-it day in Yellowknife. Behind each athlete is a support system that matters — a coach who pushed them further, a family who believed without wavering, a hometown that rallied around them before the world knew their name. 

This simple truth became the foundation of “Where It Begins,” our brand campaign for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. But the campaign itself is only part of the story. Equally important is how it came together. 

Rather than following traditional production approaches, we built this campaign with Para athletes, not about them. 

From visibility to connection 

Paris 2024 was a breakthrough for Paralympic sport in Canada. More than 11 million Canadians tuned in to CBC/Radio-Canada’s coverage — up 119% from Tokyo 2020 — and the “IGNITE the Light” campaign raised more than $375,000, making it the most successful public fundraising initiative in our history. 

But as we started planning for Milano Cortina, we knew the next chapter needed something more. Paris had been about visibility — showing up with a new brand, new platforms, and a simple message: “We are here. Watch us.” 

Milano Cortina demanded something deeper: connection. The goal became inviting Canadians to become part of the Paralympic Movement by connecting athletes to the communities that shaped them — transforming hometown connections into national pride, one community at a time. 

Athletes as partners, not subjects 

The most significant evolution in “Where It Begins” wasn’t the creative concept — it was how we made it. We implemented an athlete-centric methodology, treating athletes as creative partners throughout the entire campaign process. 

Athletes were involved from concept through execution. Through collaborative working sessions with our internal marketing and athlete relations teams, production partner Dot Dot Dash, and the athletes themselves, we uncovered what stories mattered most to each athlete and who the supporters were that played pivotal roles in their journeys. 

This wasn’t tokenistic consultation. Athletes recommended shooting locations. They selected which family members, coaches, and friends would appear alongside them. The production approach was documentary-style, capturing content in authentic environments — the athletes’ hometowns, training spaces, and places special to them both on and off the field of play. 

The co-creation process revealed consistent themes across every athlete conversation, and these insights fundamentally shaped the campaign’s creative direction. 

Athletes wanted to be seen as elite competitors first — their training, competitive fire, and dedication to their sport, not their disabilities, being the most interesting things about them. They pushed for content that showed them as whole people: with family, friends, and lives beyond the field of play. They emphasized that winter sport athletes train year-round, not just when there’s snow on the ground, and wanted that reality reflected. 

They were clear about avoiding what they called “the inspiration trap” — the tendency to frame Para athletes as inspiring simply for existing with a disability rather than for their athletic achievements. 

Above all, athletes wanted to be trusted to tell their own stories. They know their journeys better than anyone, and they wanted to speak for themselves rather than have others speak for them. 

The athletes of “Where It Begins“ 

The campaign brings together athletes from five winter Para sports, spanning the country from coast to coast: Tyler Turner in Campbell River, Mollie Jepsen in West Vancouver, Alexis Guimond in Gatineau, the ski-and-guide duo of Kalle Eriksson and Sierra Smith, Brittany Hudak in Prince Albert, Dominic Cozzolino in Mississauga, Brian Rowland in Merrickville, and Ina Forrest in Spallumcheen. 

The campaign also features Paralympic legend Brian McKeever, now head coach of Canada’s Para nordic skiing team, along with nine members of Canada’s Para ice hockey team including Tyler McGregor, James Dunn, Zach Lavin, Corbin Watson, Adam Dixon, Rob Armstrong, Greg Westlake, Tyrone Henry, and Anton Jacobs-Webb. 

Athletes voicing the campaign 

When it came time to choose voices for the campaign, the decision was easy: it had to be athletes. 

The English narration is voiced by Tyler McGregor, three-time Paralympian and captain of Canada’s Para ice hockey team. The French narration features The Honourable Chantal Petitclerc, one of Canada’s most decorated and recognized Paralympians. 

Documentary sensibility meets human narrative 

We partnered with Dot Dot Dash to bring the campaign to life, with Jason van Bruggen and Blaine Pearson leading the creative direction. Van Bruggen directed; Steve Puhach edited. Rather than building sets or staging scenarios, the production team connected with athletes in their actual environments — garages, trails, rinks, living rooms — letting the real moments unfold. 

The result: authentic, compelling, true 

When we listened and built the campaign around what athletes told us they wanted, we created something more authentic, more compelling, and truer to who these athletes really are. 

The flagship commercial has been created in multiple lengths for both broadcast and social, in both official languages with described video and closed captioning. 

Beyond the central spot, “Where It Begins” encompasses multiple content series with rich storytelling across formats — Para sport explainers, training behind-the-scenes, and athlete features — all tracing the path from local beginnings to international achievement. 

What this approach taught us 

“Where It Begins” represents more than a campaign — it’s a model we hope other sports organizations and agencies will consider when working with athletes to tell their stories. 

The athlete-centric methodology demonstrated that authentic co-creation doesn’t compromise creative quality — it enhances it. When athletes have agency over their narratives, the result is content that resonates more deeply with audiences because it reflects genuine human experiences rather than manufactured storylines. 

For Para athletes specifically, this approach directly addresses one of their most consistent concerns: being portrayed as narrative devices rather than as themselves. By putting athletes in the director’s chair, we ensured that the stories told are the stories athletes want to share. 

“My disability is part of my journey, absolutely. But I have so much more to share. My community, my training partners, my goals, my personality — that’s what I want people to connect with.” — Athlete feedback during co-creation 

Your turn to be part of the support system 

“Where It Begins” celebrates the people who believed in these athletes before anyone else did. Now, we’re inviting Canadians to become part of that support system for the next generation. 

#FillTheStands is a national fundraising initiative that gives fans a way to show they’re behind Canada’s Paralympians — and to help the next generation of Para athletes find their own path to the podium. 

Where it begins — and where it goes 

As the countdown to Milano Cortina 2026 continues, “Where It Begins” will continue to unfold across our social and digital channels. 

Everyone’s “where it begins” moment is different. Through this campaign, we invite sports fans from coast to coast to coast to learn more about the athletes on the Canadian Paralympic Team and explore their stories — while also sharing their own. 

Because greatness doesn’t start in the spotlight. It starts somewhere. And that somewhere — that collection of coaches, families, friends, and communities who believed before the world knew — deserves to be celebrated. 

This is Paralympic greatness, made in Canada. 

Learn more 

To view the “Where It Begins” campaign and learn more about the athletes: Paralympic.ca/WhereItBegins  

To support the next generation of Para athletes through #FillTheStands:
Paralympic.ca/FillTheStands  

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games take place March 6-15, 2026, on CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada’s Paralympic Network. 

Behind-the-scenes photo credit: Dot Dot Dash | Director, Jason Van Bruggen