The National Ability Center, Outride and the Osseointegration International invites the public to take a gander at a trailer for the upcoming short-film documentary, “Tread Setters.”

The trailer, which is now on YouTube, gives viewers a taste of what it’s like for a group of four adaptive cyclists to take on the more than 100 miles of the White Rim Trail at Canyonlands National Park.

While the film features some beautiful scenic shots of the area, it’s more about the stories of the adaptive athletes — Annijke Wade, Josie Fouts, Ability to Ride Founder Roger Withers and Steven Wilke, a longtime NAC volunteer, said Executive Producer Tasha Tinagero, who is also the director of marketing and strategic partnerships at Outride, a nonprofit that improves the lives of youth through cycling.

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“A lot of times with outdoor films, we get lost and soft in big, drone-panel shots, and that’s great, but it’s not the heart and soul of these people’s stories,” she said. “It was about who was involved and why they were here.”

The film shoot itself was also about getting to know the crew, which included director Louis Arévalo, a Salt Lake City-based environmental portrait photographer and filmmaker who specializes in outdoor adventure and recreation spaces, cinematographer Austin Smock, and Rugile Kaladyte, who helmed the second camera, according to Tinagero.

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“We had a special team, and we’ve all extensively shot film and worked in the outdoor space,” she said. “And we found out during the shoot that every person involved had some type of injury or difference that affected their lives. And that shows in the end product, because there is a different conversation with people who have experienced something and understand things on a more deeper level, than having someone come in who hasn’t.”

Wade, an Outride Ambassador who has participated in the NAC mono-skiing program, is fairly new to the adaptive athlete and disability community.

“I have been a full-time wheelchair user for almost two years, and at the time of the film’s production I was one year and two months from my mountain bike accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury,” she said.

Wade’s accident took place at Angel Fire Bike Park in New Mexico on July 17, 2021, and taking on the White Rim Trail was one of her first big rides as an adaptive athlete . 

“I had never ridden the White Rim Trail,” she said. “I have driven through Moab quite a few times, but it’s funny that I have never spent any extended time in Moab. So, initially, I wasn’t sure it was something that was in my athletic ability, and it was something I wasn’t sure I could complete.”

Wade started to feel more comfortable with the endeavor after she completed some extensive research.

“As an adaptive athlete I wanted to explore what it was like to be out in nature more and tackling more technical terrain,” she said. “I did experience some adversity out there, but that’s something you will face any time you go outdoors. It was also an important opportunity and moment to be involved in, because I wanted to connect more with the adaptive and paracycling community and disability community in general.”

By the time Tinagero got involved with “Tread Setters,” the crew and athletes were already on board. 

“I was approached by another Outride Ambassador, Josie Fouts, to get involved, and by that time, Lael Wilcox, who is also an ambassador, and Lael’s wife had been helping with the film,” she said. “Josie said they had the whole crew, but needed someone to give them some support.”

Usually a project like “Tread Setters” can take from six months to a few years to film, but crews shot principal photography in one day, Tinagero said.

“They had everything dialed in in terms of the story, in terms of all that was needed,” she said. “I arrived in Moab just off a shoot that took place in the Navajo Nation, and we sat down and sorted out the story over dinner that night.”

Another goal of the film is to show that trail access and trail equity is for everyone, no matter what their abilities, Tinagero said.

“Cycling is for everyone, and the purpose of the film is to show that we can all get to the top of the mountain no matter how we do it,” she said. “It’s a big testament to why it’s important to build trails, preserve our parklands and make sure there’s open communication between trail builders and advocacy organizations — [like] Outride, the National Ability Center and the National Park Service —  to make sure that our public lands are accessible to all.”

While Wade participated in the project, she not only began to feel more connected with the adaptive community. She also felt her own confidence grow.

“Attempting to ride a very long distance in a beautiful area with a community of people has allowed me to set my sights on what I am really capable of doing as an athlete,” she said. “I have been able to define my goals for the upcoming year based on that, and it has also got me thinking about what it means to support para and adaptive athletes.”

“Tread Setters” is scheduled for its world premiere at SBT GRVL, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, with the film debuting online in early 2024. SBT GRVL is an annual inclusive, world-class gravel cycling race event that runs from Aug. 17-21, this year, Tinagero explained.

“When we were looking at where to premiere the film, it made sense to do it there, because we want to work with other organizations and races that are uplifting and supporting the community,” she said. “SBT, as an organization, has done an incredible job supporting Outride. They have fundraised for us, and have made sure to bring paracycling and paracyclists into the conversation. So, to have them be the first eyes on the story means so much.”