Paul Basagoitia's Story to Air on HBO October 29 - 'Any One Of Us'

HBO Sports presents ANY ONE OF US, a revealing documentary produced by Red Bull Films, chronicling pro mountain biker Paul Basagoitia’s remarkable journey to recovery after a devastating injury. Offering an unprecedented look into the traumatic world of spinal cord injuries (SCI), the film debuts TUESDAY, OCT. 29 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT), exclusively on HBO, it was announced today by Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports.

The film will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and partners’ streaming platforms.

The feature-length presentation marks the first-ever partnership between HBO Sports and Red Bull Films, telling a story that begins on October 16, 2015, the date of Basagoitia’s traumatic injury, and unfolding in real time through raw, intimate footage — much filmed by Paul himself — of the agonies of an unpredictable journey and uncertain future. Directed by Fernando Villena, the film features a chorus of other diverse SCI survivors, shining a light on the struggles that Basagoitia and all SCI patients confront every day, and the hope that drives them.

“ANY ONE OF US is an incredibly raw, emotional, and impactful film,” says Peter Nelson, Executive Vice President, HBO Sports. “Paul’s story is unforgettable, and an extraordinary case study of what SCI survivors deal with on a daily basis as they work to recover from their injuries. We are proud to be associated with Red Bull Films and this production, and are excited for our HBO audience to discover this story.”

Paul Basagoitia, or Paul “Bas” as he’s more widely known, has never been a stranger to surpassing expectations and overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds. Born and raised in Minden, Nevada, Basagoitia was riding bikes – without training wheels – from the age of two. By the time he turned seven, he was winning BMX contests.

In 2004 when Basagoitia was in his teens, he tagged along with his friend and fellow Reno-area native, professional mountain biker Cam Zink, as he headed to one of the world’s premier mountain biking competitions, Crankworx, held annually in Whistler, BC. Once there, Paul entered the mountain bike slopestyle contest with a bike borrowed from Zink, and he pulled off a stunning run that ended with a perfect backflip onto a massive step-up to win the event. 

Basagoitia returned to Crankworx the following year and repeated his slopestyle win, cementing his place at the top. In his twenties, Basagolitia became the first person to complete a 720 on a mountain bike and landed the first double backflip on natural terrain in front of a global audience at the 2012 Red Bull Rampage event in Utah.

Three years later, back at Red Bull Rampage, where Basagoitia was one of the favorites to win, his life changed forever. A slight mistake saw him off his line and tumbling down the rock face. As a result, he suffered a burst-fracture of his 12th vertebrae and partially severed his spinal cord.

Starting from the first days in the hospital where he found out that he was paralyzed, Basagoitia turned his camera onto himself and began to capture his recovery experience. These personal videos reveal his struggles and triumphs as he moves from the hospital, to rehab, and eventually home. Nine months into his recovery, Red Bull Films, with director Fernando Villena, began working with Basagoitia to tell his story in a way that could raise awareness and help others who have suffered spinal cord injuries.

The HBO Sports presentation of ANY ONE OF US is directed by Fernando Villena; Produced byBen Bryan and Nate Nash; Executive Producers Scott Bradfield, Charlie Rosene, Jim Sayer, Paul Basagoitia, Aaron Lutze and Werner Brell; For HBO, Executive Producers Peter Nelson and Rick Bernstein; Edited by Rose Corr and Original Score by Turtle. The film highlights the Wings for Life Research Foundation in their aim to find a cure for spinal cord injury.

Vital MTB's Inside Line Podcast with Paul Bas