October 2025 Update

We are beyond grateful for the incredible support that continues to pour in. We just had our World Premiere at the Bend Film Festival and it was a smashing success! Two sold out shows, two great panels, many uplifting and heartfelt conversations, AND we were awarded the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature!!!

Help us continue this momentum and get the film out far and wide. As independent filmmakers we rely on community support to make everything possible -- from organizing screenings, to festival applications, and marketing materials -- everything costs money. Please consider making a contribution to help us continue this important work.

JOIN US TODAY

We invite you to be a part of our journey as we enter the next phase of our film production. Over the last seven years we have raised over $350k from supporters like you to develop, film, and produce an inspiring 90-minute documentary that illustrates positive ways for people new to spinal cord injuries to reconnect with nature.

We are now beginning outreach to raise money for our impact campaign, which will support a small grassroots marketing team dedicated to getting this film out to the world. Our goal is to distribute this film to the hundreds of adaptive sports chapters and spinal cord rehabilitation centers across the country and beyond. 

As we assemble dedicated partners across the United States, Great Britain, France, Australia, and more - our team will coordinate and market local screenings with regional adaptive sports chapters, disability organizations, and spinal cord rehabilitation centers. We will lean into the power of local communities to reach the millions of wheelchair users around the world. Additional funds will go toward a robust film festival tour, harnessing the independent film community and inspiring people of all abilities to remember the importance of our connection to nature. 

Every dollar donated here is tax-deductible and will help get us get this film further out to the world. Please consider employer match programs to make the most of your contribution. We also accept stock donations. For more info, email [email protected]. Share this project with your friends, family, on social media, and to anyone you'd like to bring along this journey.

HOW TO DONATE WITH DONOR ADVISED FUND

ABOUT THE FILM

“ADAPTED” is a heartfelt and intimate adventure documentary about grief and recovery after traumatic spinal-cord injury. The film follows three individuals with paralysis determined to reclaim their connection to nature as each embarks on a daring and personal adventure with the hope of finding new ways to access places that make them feel most alive. 

Anna Soens attempts to become the first paraplegic athlete to summit Mt. Baker, a towering 10,781-foot glaciated volcano in Washington State. Josh Hancock leads a custom adaptive raft down the wild, scenic Salmon River in Idaho. Danielle Doelling trains to hand-cycle 87 miles across the rugged terrain of the White Rim Trail, in the Canyonlands National Park, Utah.

While the love for adventure is their shared pursuit, each of their stories reveals a deeper journey—one of resilience, hardship, and self-discovery. ADAPTED showcases unique ways that individuals with paralysis can access the outdoors, and celebrates the incredible capacity of the human spirit to forge new horizons, even after life-altering setbacks. At its heart, the film reminds us that our connection with nature—and the daring adventures we undertake there—reflect who we are and awaken something universal within us.

OUR MISSION

Director's Statement

Creating ADAPTED has been a seven-year journey which began with the transformation I saw in my own mother after she entered hospice. Witnessing the degenerative aspects of her terminal illness was devastating, but I saw fundamental changes in her demeanor during the times she could be outside. 

I was 24 when I moved back to my childhood home to assist with my mom’s caregiving. She could not do anything on her own, but together we set goals, getting her back on a bike and even on skis through an adaptive sports program. Seeing how much these adventures in nature improved her well being - despite her terminal illness - was what motivated me to start making this film. 

It was while I was taking care of her that I met Michael “Hawkeye” Johnson, founder of the GoHawkeye Foundation, and he introduced me to Josh, Anna, and Danielle, all of whom he had fundraised for to help pay for their adaptive sports equipment. As I learned about their stories, I was able to draw parallels between their experiences and my mom’s. They all had a common thread - demonstrating how a renewed connection to wild spaces can give someone a new lease on life. 

In filming ADAPTED, my goal was to portray the lengths that people will go just to get outside to remind a broad audience how important a connection with nature is to our humanity. I also worked closely with the cast members to not just portray their heroic accomplishments, but also capture their day to day lives living with a spinal-cord-injury. Ultimately, I hope that this film will show people new to paralysis what’s possible and inspire people of all abilities to get outside.

Other Ways You Can Help

• Share this project with your network!
• Reach out to become an regional ambassador and help our marketing team coordinate screenings in your area
• Host a private screening and fundraising event