Where it Begins

The Canadian Paralympic Committee came to us with a clear ambition: build on the record-breaking momentum of Paris 2024 and deepen the connection between Canadians and their Para athletes in advance of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

The insight was simple but powerful. Greatness doesn't start in the spotlight. It starts at home — in local rinks and community pools, with coaches who showed up early and families who drove the long road. Where It Begins was built around that truth.

Working in genuine co-creation with the athletes themselves, we followed them back into their worlds — from Campbell River, BC to small-town Ontario — to capture the communities, relationships, and defining moments that set everything in motion. The result is a documentary-style campaign that puts athletes at the centre, not as a narrative device, but as the full, complex people they are.

The campaign was developed in partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada's Paralympic Network, and activated across broadcast, digital, and out-of-home, with Bell Media and Pfizer among the partners extending the work's reach. English narration was provided by Tyler McGregor, three-time Paralympian and captain of Canada's Para ice hockey team. The French version was voiced by the Honourable Chantal Petitclerc, one of Canada's most celebrated Paralympians.

Where It Begins launched to mark the 100-day countdown to the Games, alongside the #FillTheStands national fundraising initiative — inviting all Canadians to become part of the essential support system that gets athletes to the world stage.