The idea of making “One Year Later” came about well into Rosa’s recovery from the climbing accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. A group of us sat around our living room in Durango, Colorado, figuring out the best way to spend three days biking, climbing, and rafting. Not six months earlier, Rosa had moved back to town after spending the entire summer in a spinal rehab hospital. Now she had the harebrained idea to celebrate her first year in a wheelchair by biking from Moab to the Fisher Towers, climbing Ancient Art, and spending two days rafting on the Colorado.
“Why don’t we make a movie?!” she suggested, adding yet another complication to a trip that was quickly becoming a logistical pain in the ass.
If there has been one cliché throughout this entire experience, it’s been the word “inspiration.” Rosa has been described in one way or another with that word so many times her nickname has become “Little Miss Inspiration.” Looking back on that summer she spent in the hospital, it was sad, devastating, difficult, and at no point did I, personally, feel inspired. Even though it was relieving to hang out and laugh in the hospital, I also felt uncomfortable and sad to be with a friend who seemed so vulnerable and for whom any sense of normalcy had been completely lost. The idea that Rosa would live her life in any way that resembled her able-bodied self seemed preposterous.
I wanted “One Year Later” to express some truths about the individual experiences of a few people intimately involved in Rosa’s recovery. I thought her strength should be celebrated not just for how she can still mountain bike and enjoy the outdoor activities that make her happy, but how she’s able to live a normal life with its typical ups and downs. Whether or not the film inspired anybody did not really matter to me.
Photo: Steve “Doom” Fassbinder
Photo: Steve “Doom” Fassbinder
Making a film about an excruciatingly sad circumstance actually turned out to be fun. Rosa and I spent many evenings chasing golden light on our mountain bikes, doing our best to make adaptive biking look sexy. And even though interviewing good friends brought up a lot of tough emotions and sadness, it felt good to connect with each other through the interview process and gain some insight into what they had gone through. This had been a life changing experience for everyone involved, including myself, and it felt good just to sit down and reflect on it for an hour and a half.
What felt like a huge gaping hole of sadness has slowly healed and become a badge of resilience for Rosa and the people who have stuck by her side. I wouldn’t say spending time with Rosa makes me feel particularly inspired, but I have certainly been blown away by her strength. Mostly, I just feel lucky to have her around.
Photo: Steve “Doom” Fassbinder
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