After watching Best Day Ever, a documentary following adaptive mountain bikers Greg Durso and Allie Bianchi on Vermont's pioneering adaptive mountain bike trail network, physical therapy students Clara Slesar and Lolly Vasilion knew they wanted to share its message.
“Our initial thought was we want to bring it to UVM for the physical therapy students,” said Vasilion. “And then we were hearing from others who wanted to bring it to UVM too.”
Interest quickly expanded beyond the program, prompting the students to plan an event open to the broader community. Thanks to their efforts, members of the UVM community and the public are invited to watch Best Day Ever at 6 p.m. on Sept. 16 in the Davis Center. Sponsored by the UVM Physical Therapy program and Graduate Student Senate, the event will conclude with a Q&A featuring producer Berne Broudy and athletes Allie Bianchi and Greg Durso.
For both Slesar and Vasilion, the film reinforced a lesson at the heart of rehabilitation: helping people continue the activities and relationships that give their lives meaning.
Slesar, who grew up in Vermont and first met Bianchi when they were both ski instructors at Cochran's Ski Area in Richmond, Vt., said the documentary challenges assumptions about what is possible after a life-changing injury.
“Something that stuck with me from the film was hearing how, early on, a member of Allie’s medical team told her she likely wouldn’t be able to participate in sports because of her prognosis,” said Slesar. “Then Kelly Brush, founder of the Kelly Brush Foundation, called her and said, ‘You will be able to ski. It’ll look different, but we’re going to make it happen.’”
“None of us want to be a provider who tells a patient what they can't do,” Vasilion said.
The students say the film also offers a powerful example of how creativity and collaboration can expand opportunities for people with disabilities.
"If somebody doesn't have full use of their physical body, it's empowering to see a trail network where every trail is accessible," said Vasilion.
And, beyond its message about rehabilitation and possibility, the students believe the film is ultimately about community.
“Showing this movie goes beyond raising awareness,” said Vasilion. “The film shows that community collaboration is how you make things happen. It was collaboration with these athletes who use adaptive mountain bikes: How do we design a trail that not only can you ride it, but also it's fun to ride and you're going to have a great time with your buddies on it.”
That message resonates deeply with both students as they prepare for careers in rehabilitation. Slesar hopes to work in inpatient care in Vermont. Vasilion’s focus is on neurologic rehabilitation, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and stroke recovery.
“We're going into rehab and the idea of inclusion and accessibility is in every single part of what we do,” said Vasilion. “Our job is to make it so that a person is able to brush their teeth without any pain, or put on their shirt, or get out of bed, or go on a run, or go to the driving range, or ride their bike…”
After seeing the film, Slesar said she felt it would make her a better future clinician.
“After I watched it, I thought, ‘I will be a better physical therapist,’” she said. “And I think that that would go for anybody in the medical field and anybody in the community.”
Slesar hopes the screening will encourage people to think differently about adaptive sports, accessibility, and their own role in creating inclusive communities.
“I think the movie does a really beautiful job of talking about community and showing how this common interest in bikes and trails can bring people together from all cycling backgrounds and across a wide range of physical abilities, and then everybody's biking together on these trails,” she said. “I hope that the message of community comes through at UVM and that people go out into the world more curious about adaptive sports and what their role in that can be.”
“It's the first adaptive trail network in the world and it's in our backyard,” added Vasilion. “How amazing is that?”
If You Go
Best Day Ever Documentary Screening
Dudley H. Davis Center, Grand Maple Ballroom
590 Main St., Burlington
Free
More information: Best Day Ever Film Screening at UVM