Fearless - the fifth estate

Broadcast DATE: Friday, February 24, 2012

Download Flash Player to view this content.

Note: This video is only available to view online by Canadian audiences due to rights issues

Fearless

"Citius, Altius, Fortius" is the Olympic motto - "Faster, Higher, Stronger." But for today's athletes, when does pushing the envelope cross the line into recklessness and the very real risk of serious injury or death?

That's the question explored as the fifth estate presents "Fearless."

Her father and friends -- and fellow freestyle skiers -- share personal stories and video footage of Sarah Burke, the champion skier who died last month from injuries sustained during a manoeuvre that she had done many times before but was nevertheless tricky.

Danger goes hand-in-hand with sports like freestyle skiing -- and the combination of thrilling action and potential peril generates huge TV ratings. But are participants being pushed too far?

"Clearly, extreme sports like this are the future of the Olympics. It caters to a youth market that is escaping them. But I don't think the sport can go with a hands off, laissez-faire approach and continue to go for bigger, faster and all this other the kind of stuff - not with the current rate of accidents and fatalities that we've seen," says Thompson Rivers University professor Jon Heshka.

Others -- including Burke's own father -- profoundly disagree. They would not invite any new regulation of the sport and believe that athletes know better than anyone the risk they are courting.

Also profiled, the stories of Dave Irwin and Nodar Kumaritashvili two other athletes who pushed the limits at their own peril.

Note: The comment board is open for 14 days following the initial broadcast.