AMI-tv to air original documentary in search of the next generation of Canadian Paralympians

In the lead-up to its coverage of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Accessible Media Inc. announced today that it will air a one-hour special documentary focused on the search for Canada’s next generation of Paralympic athletes entitled Are You #PARATOUGH? The special will premiere on AMI-tv Thursday, August 18 at 6 p.m ET.

Audience members will join host Mark DeMontis on his journey to see if he’s got what it takes to be one of Canada’s next Paralympic champions. DeMontis, who is legally blind and a former high-level athlete himself, travels to Halifax to participate in the Paralympian Search event hosted by the Canadian Paralympic Committee, where he meets Para-athletes at different stages in their careers, all with dreams of representing Canada for Paralympic Games to come.

“The Paralympic Games are an exciting event that not only unites people of all abilities but shows the world what these athletes are made of,” says John Melville, Vice President of Programming and Production for AMI-tv. “AMI is proud to utilize our platforms to help the Canadian Paralympic Committee discover the next generation of Canadian Paralympians.”

The documentary will feature athletes at different stages in their careers including members of the Canadian Paralympic team who will be competing at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, athletes who are being closely watched by the Canadian Paralympic team as potential competitors at future events, and rookie athletes who have signed up for the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Paralympian Search, held across Canada. Athletes featured in Are You #PARATOUGH? include: Benoît Huot, Pam LeJean, Aurélie Rivard, Ross Wilson, and many more.

“We are delighted with our ongoing partnership with AMI in bringing the Paralympic story to Canadians,” says Martin Richard, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing for the Canadian Paralympic Committee. “The Are You #PARATOUGH? documentary brings a unique view of the journey towards the Paralympics and will surely spark the dream of sport in future Para-athletes.”

Are You #PARATOUGH? is produced for AMI-tv by Breakthrough Entertainment. The special features integrated described video, using descriptions from the host and participants integrated organically into the program alongside natural sound, to make it accessible to a blind and partially sighted audience.

“We thoroughly enjoyed working on this unique project with AMI and the Canadian Paralympic Committee,” explains Ira Levy, Partner and Executive Producer for Breakthrough Entertainment Inc. “Breakthrough has had the pleasure of working with AMI in the past but what we loved about this particular assignment was the opportunity to present this compelling story from the point of view of Canada’s elite Para-athletes in a completely accessible format. By producing the program with integrated described video, we were able to ensure that Canadians of all abilities can enjoy Are You #PARATOUGH?.”

Tune in for Are You #PARATOUGH? on Thursday, August 18 at 6 p.m. ET on AMI-tv. Check your local listings for the AMI channels in your area. The special will be also be available to watch online at AMI.ca after the initial broadcast.