Dealing with Death and Loss in the Extreme Sports Community

Our videos always try and show the greatest moments in life. Taking on the world. Living your dreams and working hard to achieve them. With that being said, we very rarely talk about the opposite side of the spectrum. Showing and dealing with loss.I feel it's very important to talk about loss, because there must be opposition in all things. Going through adversity makes the triumphs and the little simple moments have so much more meaning.
This week two of our favorite people we've ever worked with passed away, both of them being totally unexpected. :(

Our video with Mandy:


We do extreme sport videos for a living, so it exposes us to a lot of these people who put their lives on the line. Because of that, we often hear about these deaths in the extreme sports world, and since it is such a tight knit community, there is often a chance it will be connected to us. Everyone of them hits hard, but especially this one since it was so close to home with people we have just filmed with.
Last month we did a video for Christmas time where we found someone in great need, we had our fans suggest someone, and they had suggested a woman we had never met, Mandy. We were able to play a small part in her life, and she had played a major part in our lives. She was a single mother fighting a battle against cancer, had two children, and she had a chance of coming out okay, however that sadly was not the part of God's plan for her. Mandy passed a way a few nights ago, and hearing the news broke our hearts because of the experiences we had and the love we have for her.
This morning when I woke up I had several emails from friends letting me know that one of my favorite people we had filmed with a year ago, Kelly McGarry had also passed away. He had collapsed while mountain biking in his home country of New Zealand. When we filmed with Kelly last year, he was one of the most talented, hard working and positive people I've ever worked with. We had only planned on filming one day with Kelly, but once we started working together we realized how well we worked together, so we ended up spending three days working together. He was all about doing whatever it took to get the right stunts/shots. Kelly hands down was one of the most genuine down to earth professional athletes I've ever worked with, and it makes me sick to my heart that he isn't with us any more, but despite the circumstance, I'm glad he was able to pass away doing what he loved.

Main Video with Kelly:


Behind The Scenes:


Life never goes as expected, we are often time thrown for loops and surprises. I'm super thankful for the time I had with both Mandy and Kelly, they have forever changed my life. Take advantage of every moment you have with family and friends. Life is precious, you never know when it will end, so take every moment to seize the day and make the most out of every moment you have.  God has a plan for all of us and I am so grateful that His plans for Mandy and Kelly included me in them.