Making The Cut documentary

Happy Teaser Tuesday! In today’s teaser video from Making the Cut, @nicolassabia from @paraclimb_canada teaches Alicia the little things she needs to know about amputation, like how to manage sweat inside a prosthetic socket. In one of many post-climb conversations at @guelphgrotto , Nick talks about one of the most unexpectedly genius hacks - pads and panty liners to help manage moisture to stay comfortable in the socket throughout the day. Adaptation and problem-solving for amputees is a constant and keeping a sense of humour about it can make it a little less grating. For someone who is facing an amputation, conversations like these can make the unknowns feel a little less intimidating and a lot more human. #amputation #prosthetic #chronicInfection #AdaptiveLiving #LimbDifference

We’re stoked to share that Beyond Boundaries Films has awarded Making the Cut a matching grant! They will match every dollar we raise, up to $12,000. The funds will be used to create a training camp for the Canadian para-climbing where we’ll film some of the conversations that inspired this documentary. A huge thank you to @beyondboundariesfilm . We’re so grateful for their support and mentorship. Website link for contributions is in bio! /donate

I’ve been fighting a chronic infection in my leg since 2023. After the last relapse, I learned that the infection will likely need lifelong treatment to suppress. In 2025, amputation entered the chat. As luck would have it, my climbing partner, @nicolassabia , is a lower-limb amputee and a member of the Canadian para-climbing team. In 2025, he got a lot of personal, rapid-fire questions from yours truly. He answered honestly and quite irreverently. He also introduced me to other para-athletes so I could gather more perspectives. The conversations were mired in dark humour, but they were also thoughtful, moving, and deeply human. I learned about the hidden challenges that make life harder in ways we don’t even realize. I also learned that adaptive sports help you reclaim the identity that is taken from you. But adaptive is not the same as accessible. I asked @burdockcreative , fellow climber, friend, and filmmaker, about turning my conversations with the para-athletes into a documentary. "Sounds like the project has real legs...Wait. Oh no." Well, he was right. MAKING THE CUT has been selected as a finalist in the BANFF Pitch competition and on November 8, Tyler will pitch the film concept to an international panel. If he wins, the grant will serve as seed funding for the film. Tyler will capture our national para-climbing team as they train together and help me figure out if I "Make the Cut" (along with my doctors, obviously - don't DM me.) The film’s goal is to create space for the team to train together and to use levity to educate viewers and provoke discussions about accessibility. We also want to make the audience weep uncontrollably at the tragic plight of a woman who has to change her climbing style this late in the game. The indignity. Please wish Tyler luck at the pitch and a massive thank you to everyone who helped get us here, especially @nicolassabia , @gimpin.and.still.crimpin , @royalcityfit and of course, @burdockcreative – but we’re not done sloggin’ yet! If you or your company are interested in sponsoring or funding this project or the Canadian para-climbing team, visit our website! Link in bio.

Teaser Tuesday! 16 months after her infection relapsed and 1 year since her pulmonary embolism, Alicia returns to her gym. Questions about why she wears a wig are silenced. #ChronicInfection #teasertuesday

Sometimes I forget that not everyone has been privy to the developments in my infection. To that end, may I present the infection archives to explain some points of confusion. This week, “why do I sometimes wear a wig?” #hairloss #chronicinfection

Throw back to @nicolassabia and I trying to put the pitch video together last Aug. It was… not great. Peep the microphone in the shot. That’s when we called @burdockcreative to save us.

Nicolas (Nick) lives in Guelph, Ontario with his partner Autumn. Nick has too many interests to list, but he is a climber, avid outdoorsman, triathlete, and bike enthusiast. Nick became a lower-limb amputee in 2019 and became a member of Canada’s para-climbing team in 2024. Nick and Alicia had been climbing together since 2023, and in 2025, he became Alicia’s unofficial amputation guide.

Meet the team! Alicia Newell is a lifelong “mid” athlete, climber, and the central subject of the film, who is also serving in a producer role. Alicia lives in Guelph, Ontario with her husband, Steve, who doesn’t share her aversion to solid ground, but supports her anyway. In 2023, Alicia developed a rare type of infection after a surgical complication. In 2025, the infection was deemed chronic and elective amputation entered the chat.

Meet the team! Tyler Burr has worked in commercial video production for 10 years, gaining experience in all areas and scales of commercial productions. He lives in Saint John, New Brunswick with his partner Rachel. In 2024, Tyler’s first climbing documentary “Carved from Stone” was selected as a finalist at nine film festivals (including the Banff Centre Mountain Film & Book Festival, and two world tours). Tyler is director, DOP, lead cinematographer and producer on this film.

Thanks so much to @climbjunction for having us yesterday. Got some great footage of the para-climbing team and even got Tyler up on a route or two.

We have been doing a lot of behind the scenes work since the @banffmountainfestival pitch comp, so it was beyond exciting to see @burdockcreative shooting for @makingthecutdoc at @paraclimb_canada nationals at @canyon.escalade_ this weekend! The athleticism, the community, and sheer volume of spaghetti leftovers was off the charts. We really can’t thank the entire community enough for how supportive they’ve been of this project. We met way too many incredible people to name, but wanted to share our immense appreciation with everyone who took the time to talk to us and welcome us this weekend. Tyler’s favorite moment from the weekend was when the routes were revealed to the competitors. Seeing all the climbers and callers read the routes and share beta was a testament to the spirit of the community. Alicia’s favorite moment was listening in on @pattihoddinott17 calling the route for @blindape2023 . It was also really cool (and humbling) to get to try one of the routes after the comp. Luckily, Alicia and Patti were mic’d up so we can compare their commentaries in another post. @climbcanada @paraclimb_canada