What remains when a single moment changes everything? The documentary “BACKBONE“ follows Sam Bloom, Delia Guggenheim, Thibaud Coudriou and Nico Langmann after sustaining spinal cord injuries. It tells stories of pain and despair, but also of the moments that help them rediscover hope and joy in life. Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn narrates this extraordinary documentary, which will be released on November 5.
5 November 2026
In brief
- What: “BACKBONE”, a documentary following four people after sustaining spinal cord injuries
- Release date: November 5
- Narrator: Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn
- The four protagonists: Sam Bloom, Delia Guggenheim, Thibaud Coudriou and Nico Langmann
- Subject: The challenges people with spinal cord injuries face every day, and why research into finding a cure is so important
- Central question of the film: “What would you do if there were a cure for spinal cord injury?”
- Connected campaign: Wings for Life World Run
- Registration for the Wings for Life World Run 2027: Opens November 5 at 12:00 PM CET at www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com
- Wings for Life World Run 2027 date: May 9, 2027
- How to take part: At Flagship Runs, individually using the app, or at organised App Run Events
- Where the money goes: 100% of all entry fees and donations go directly to spinal cord research
- Related film: Sam Bloom’s story was also adapted into the film “Penguin Bloom”, starring Naomi Watts, who gives an exclusive interview for “BACKBONE”
Why BACKBONE matters for spinal cord research
“BACKBONE” reveals why hundreds of thousands of people take part in the Wings for Life World Run every year: to run for those who can’t. The documentary sheds light on the challenges people with spinal cord injuries face every day and why research into finding a cure is so important.
Wings for Life World Run 2027 registration opens alongside the documentary
Coinciding with the documentary’s release, registration for the Wings for Life World Run 2027 opens on November 5 at 12:00 PM CET.
The moment that divides a life, and the question of what comes next
A spinal cord injury can turn a single moment into the dividing line between life as it was and an entirely new reality. “BACKBONE” explores that very moment – and the question of what comes next. The documentary follows four people who have had to find their way after severe injuries and who ultimately rediscover joy, hope and new perspectives. At the same time, the film demonstrates why research is essential to changing the future for people with spinal cord injuries, finding a cure for spinal cord injury and ultimately supporting the mission of Wings for Life.
Four Fates, Four Paths Back: Delia Guggenheim, Thibaud Coudriou, Sam Bloom and Nico Langmann
Delia Guggenheim was an ambitious athlete before she was hit by a driver under the influence of drugs while training on her road bike. For the documentary, she returns to the scene of the accident and, one year later, watches footage from that day for the first time. “Nothing can undo what happened. One way or another, you have to try to make the best of it now,” she says through tears. Sport becomes an important part of finding her way forward.
Thibaud Coudriou sustains a severe injury after diving headfirst into the water at a waterfall. “I destroyed my perfect life. I destroyed my wife’s life.” For a long time, he can barely imagine continuing to live: “It takes a lot to want to live in this body.” Having questioned everything in the period immediately following his injury, he gradually begins to reconnect with himself through sport. “I am definitely not the same person I was when I wanted to die.”
Sam Bloom is seriously injured during a family holiday in Thailand. After seven months of rehabilitation, an especially difficult period begins when she returns home: her children, whom she had always cared for, now have to support her. An injured baby bird named “Penguin”, and eventually sport, give her renewed strength. Today, Sam is a four-time Parasurfing World Champion. Her story was also adapted into the film “Penguin Bloom”, starring Naomi Watts. The actress gives an exclusive interview for “BACKBONE”. Sam’s words powerfully capture her struggle: “It’s easy to be bitter. Easier than breathing. But I’m still here. That has to mean something.”
Nico Langmann is just two years old when a car accident changes his life. For years, his parents try to find ways to enable him to walk again. Eventually, Nico decides to stop pursuing the life others had imagined for him and instead live his own. Today, he is one of the world’s leading wheelchair tennis players and has represented Austria at the Paralympic Games.
Lindsey Vonn as narrator of BACKBONE
Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn guides viewers through the documentary as its narrator. As an alpine ski racer, she is familiar with situations in which a fall can change everything. Although she has never sustained a spinal cord injury herself, she knows what it means to depend on the help of others for months following serious injuries.
In “BACKBONE”, she connects the personal stories of the four protagonists with a clear message: research can change the future for people with spinal cord injuries. Everyone can make a contribution by taking part in the Wings for Life World Run.
The Way Back: what the four protagonists share
Despite the differences between their stories, all four protagonists share one thing: they eventually find their own way back – not to their old lives, but to new ones. Lives that once again have room for sport, family, love, independence, joy and a future.
And it is from these experiences that the film’s central question emerges: “What would you do if there were a cure for spinal cord injury?”
BACKBONE is available from November 5
“BACKBONE” will be released on November 5, bringing four deeply personal stories to audiences and raising awareness of spinal cord injury, the challenges faced by those affected and the importance of research.
The documentary combines intimate personal experiences with a message of resilience, hope and the possibility of a different future.
Wings for Life World Run: date, registration and where the money goes
Coinciding with the documentary’s release on November 5, registration for the Wings for Life World Run 2027 will open at 12:00 PM CET. (Registration: www.wingsforlifeworldrun.com)
On May 9, 2027, people around the world will take part – at Flagship Runs, individually using the app or at organised App Run Events. Runners and wheelchair participants will join elite athletes and numerous well-known ambassadors, all united by a shared purpose.
100% of all entry fees and donations go directly to spinal cord research.
The message is clear: Take part, run and help bring us closer to finding a cure for spinal cord injury.
Quotes
Delia Guggenheim – protagonist
“Nothing can undo what happened. One way or another, you have to try to make the best of it now.”
Thibaud Coudriou – protagonist
“I destroyed my perfect life. I destroyed my wife’s life.”
On continuing to live: “It takes a lot to want to live in this body.”
On where he is now: “I am definitely not the same person I was when I wanted to die.”
Sam Bloom – protagonist, four-time Parasurfing World Champion
“It’s easy to be bitter. Easier than breathing. But I’m still here. That has to mean something.”
More Information
Registration for the Wings for Life World Run 2027: LINK
