Can someone so extraordinary go through the same challenges as the rest of us? Simone Biles knows all about our everyday struggles. Putting this on display, Netflix’s new documentary, “Simone Biles Rising,” consists of four episodes that display Biles’ life from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics all the way to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
As many had heard to some degree, Biles struggled immensely with being able to synchronize her mind to her body throughout the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. As a result, Biles dropped out of the Olympics, which shocked fans everywhere. On the bright side, this time away allowed Biles to speak out about important topics regarding mental health and her struggles firsthand. Biles took a short break from gymnastics and the spotlight following Tokyo, which also gave her the chance to focus on herself more than she had before. She was able to speak out about what it was like to be a black woman in gymnastics while also bringing attention to the toxic environment that U.S. gymnastics fostered for multiple decades.
Many people enjoyed the documentary as it gave fans insight to who Biles was aside from just the elite gymnast who they see competing on their TVs. On Rotten Tomatoes, two viewers shared their opinions. One fan wrote, “The entire crew did a great job on looking into the life of the famous gymnast Simone Biles. It was dramatic and a little depressing to learn about her life and what she did to become one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.” Another fan shared their agreement, responding, “I’m fascinated by stories of the ‘best of the best’ and Simone is simply off the charts. Sharing what it was like after Tokyo to be judged, as she said, by people who can’t even do a cartwheel, was engaging and eye opening.”
Throughout the last episode of the documentary, Biles discussed how much her mental health has changed throughout the course of those four years since the Tokyo Olympics. The U.S. team called the 2024 Olympics “the redemption tour,” not only for the team, but also for Biles. She shared how she had trained tirelessly for 12 years just for the Olympics to only last a few days. Her documentary made it clear Biles dedicates herself to the sport while also making time for herself. Biles is an idol to many young girls in gymnastics, but also to many people throughout the world. She has become the face of the U.S. Olympics Team while making history by becoming a two-time Olympics All-Around Champion in gymnastics. This documentary is most definitely a must watch since it is incredibly inspirational and insightful while showing a side of a story that is not commonly discussed.
