After a horrific bike accident, this Winnipeg woman made a return to dancing

Cyclist Lizzy Kovach knew the next moments were going to be bad, but there was nothing she could do.

"I was halfway through the intersection. I saw the grill of the truck out of the corner of my right eye, and that was it," she said.

It was May 1, 2023, and Kovach — an avid cyclist and dancer who is also the president of the Kapisztran Hungarian Folk Ensemble of Winnipeg — was riding home from work when she was hit by a truck. 

"There was a crunch, and all I knew was that I was flying off my bike," said Kovach. "I landed on my head and my neck ricocheted, and I remember feeling the pavement on my face."

Her face was cut open. She had multiple fractures in both ankles and 10 broken ribs, and broke the bone where her shin and thigh meet. She was covered in bruises and scrapes from the impact. 

The accident was devastating, but her dedication to dance, and her dance family at Kapisztran Hungarian Folk Ensemble, kept her going and helped with her recovery, Kovach said. 

"Having their support this past year and a half has been huge." 

The story of Kovach's accident, recovery and her return to dance is the subject of a new three-minute documentary by students in the Create program at Winnipeg's Sisler High School, a post-high school program that trains students in the creative digital arts, including filmmaking. 

Create students Shea Miller, Shai Vilenski East and Maya Reuther produced the short video.

Meet the filmmakers 

Shea Miller immersed herself in literature, music and movies beginning in childhood. She is now an aspiring filmmaker and has a strong passion for storytelling. As a filmmaker, she hopes to voice life experiences for herself and for others. She has enjoyed expanding her knowledge and learning different ways to tell stories through documentaries and journalism.

She is also a member of two cultural dance groups in Winnipeg and recently became an instructor in the SPK Iskry Polish School Of Dance.

Maya Reuther has been making videos since childhood. She loved recreating famous movie scenes or making stop-motion videos. She has recently gained an interest in Foley and creating music videos.

In her spare time, Maya likes to listen to and make music, create sculptures and try new, crazy makeup looks.

Shai Vilenski East has been fascinated with the world of film and entertainment since an early age. He made his first stop-motion film when he was nine and has continued to make films for the sake of entertainment and fun. In junior high, he was an editor for his school's news program, and he created multiple short films in high school.

Now, his dream is to become an editor, creating films that are nothing short of awesome.

More about Project POV: Sisler Create

CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create is a storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBC Manitoba journalists to produce short docs. You can see past projects here. 

The Winnipeg School Division's Create program is hosted at Sisler High School and trains post-high students in the creative digital arts.

During fall 2024, CBC journalists taught storytelling to filmmaking students and led producing workshops at Sisler.

Create focuses on education and career pathways into the creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media.