One second, you’re launching off a 70-foot dirt jump on ESPN. The next, you’re flat on your back, wondering if you’ll ever walk again.
We found this one on Mary Murphy’s list of The Best Outdoor Documentaries and Films on HBO.
Trailer for “Any One of Us”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- Paul Basagoitia was initially told he’d never walk again. By the end of the film, he surprises his friends by showing up at a riding event—walking slowly, unassisted.
Watch “Any One of Us”
You can watch “Any One of Us” on HBOMax.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 91/100
- IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 89/100 (Users); not yet rated (Critics)
Director’s Note: Directed by Fernando Villena. His editing background is clear here. He cuts between personal moments, medical milestones, and broader statistics with clarity and urgency.
Release Date: October 29, 2019 (HBO)
My Review of “Any One of Us”
The Setup
At 29, Paul Basagoitia was a top-ranked freeride mountain biker, known for flipping off cliffs and pushing limits. But during the 2015 Red Bull Rampage in Utah, one mistimed landing changed everything. He crushed his T12 vertebra and instantly lost feeling in his legs.
This doc shows ICU scenes, physical therapy setbacks, the mental toll, and the slow, brutal work of re-learning how to live. Paul documents most of it himself, from hospital beds to recovery centers, and we also meet others going through their own versions of the same fight.
More Highlights from the Doc
- Pro mountain biker Paul Basagoitia crashed at the 2015 Red Bull Rampage. It is one of the most extreme freeride events on Earth, and he woke up with no movement in his legs.
- While still in the ICU, Paul began filming his recovery with a handheld camera, capturing raw, day-to-day footage from bedpans to physical therapy setbacks.
- One patient at Craig Hospital learns to drive a motorized wheelchair using only her breath. She puffs into a straw-like device called a sip-and-puff.
- The first time Paul tries to stand post-injury, he can only last 30 seconds. His entire body is trembling from the strain.
- We see his fiancé Nichole, who becomes full-time caretaker and emotional anchor. Their relationship nearly collapses under the pressure.
- The doc doesn’t sugarcoat the dark parts—Paul has moments where he doubts life is worth living, talks openly about depression, and films himself crying alone in hospital rooms.
- The title isn’t just about Paul—it’s about the broader spinal cord injury community. The film shows patients with injuries from car crashes, dives, and routine falls. One woman says she was just “getting out of bed too fast.”
- Doctors explain that spinal cord injuries are “more common than breast cancer”—and yet barely discussed in mainstream media.
Lesser-Known Details from the Doc
- Paul’s GoPro footage from the crash is included—you see the exact moment he loses control mid-air and crumples to the ground. Then you hear his voice say, “I can’t feel my legs.”
- Craig Hospital in Denver is one of the only facilities in the U.S. fully specialized in spinal cord and brain injuries. It plays a central role in the recovery arc for multiple patients featured in the film.
- The film includes a montage of other action sports athletes who’ve been paralyzed—including motocross, snowboarding, and surfing—illustrating how high the stakes are in extreme sports.
Wrap Up:
“Any One of Us” is a gut-punch reminder that everything can change in one second. And the hardest race you’ll ever face might not be on a bike, but on a walker.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc