‘Simone Biles Rising’
A Netflix docuseries and her influence on gymnastics and mental health
Despite the new docuseries, “Simone Biles Rising,” the gymnast isn’t ready to talk about legacy. “Usually if you’re using the word, it means you’re done.” She hasn’t announced her plans for 2028 yet, and she knows that caring for one’s mental health is a lifelong task.
There’s always a flurry of activity when a celebrity arrives at a premiere – camera bulbs flashing, fans screaming their name. But when Simone Biles stepped onto the blue carpet on Wednesday night to debut the second part of her revealing Netflix documentary, “Simone Biles Rising,” those screams were a few octaves higher-pitched.
That’s because the courtyard of the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood was packed full of young girls who dream of someday being like Biles – the greatest gymnast of all time. Taylor Swift’s anthem “Look What You Made Me Do” blared through the speakers (a subtle nod to the floor routine that won Biles her second all-around gold medal) as she made her way to sign autographs and take selfies with the youngsters.
“She is such an icon and a role model for women, for gymnasts, for athletes and for human beings who need to take care of themselves, put their mental health and their well being ahead of expectations and priorities,” Katie Walsh, who directed “Simone Biles Rising,” told Variety about Biles. “She’s a living example of what we all should try to be – just overcome these challenges and rise above.”
Biles’ fellow Olympic all-around champion Nastia Liukin also marveled at the fanfare, saying she never expected to be on a red carpet for a movie about gymnastics. “It’s always been a sport that is a fan favorite every four years and she has taken that to a different level,” Liukin said.
The 27-year-old Biles has won 11 Olympic medals (seven gold, two silver and one bronze) and 30 medals at the World Championships (she’s won the all-around competition six times) and she’s helped usher in a new era for Black girls to thrive in the sport, but her impact goes far beyond that.
“Medals aside, she’s changed – not just the sport of gymnastics – but I think sports in general, with what she was able to do in Tokyo,” Liukin noted.
Biles scratched from the team finals at 2020 Olympics after suffering a bout of the “twisties,” a dangerous phenomenon where a gymnast loses track of themselves in the air. In Biles’ case, the twisties were a result of overwhelming mental strain.
“We can all talk about mental health. We can all be an advocate and support it, but she did it at the most important event in our sport,” Liukin continued. “No one has ever said, ‘My mental health is more important than another medal, than another competition, than somebody else’s opinion – and there were a lot of opinions. Regardless of whenever she decides to be done with the sport, she has left a legacy that I know will go on, not just for generations, but forever.”
The four-episode docuseries captures it all – from that harrowing moment in Tokyo to Biles’ triumphant comeback this summer at the Paris games. At the event, Netflix screened episode 4 – the epic finale where Biles competes at the Paris Olympics and completes her and Team USA’s “redemption tour” by earning four more medals. Her secret goal – shared only with Biles’ inner circle and the “Simone Biles Rising” filmmakers – had been to “win the Olympics” with a team gold medal and the all-around gold medal. And she did it.
Asked what was the most emotional part of the doc to look back on, Biles told Variety that she doesn’t fully remember watching it.
“I know it’s so bad,” she said, laughing. “After the Olympics, everything went so fast, it was such a blur. But I do remember watching it with my husband, and I got really emotional just because, like, I couldn’t believe that I accomplished everything. It was really exciting.”
But on the subject of the legacy she leaves regarding mental wellness, Biles said it “means everything” to know she’s made a difference.
“I’ve always tried to be vulnerable, open and honest, and I’m gonna continue that conversation, because I think it’s really important,” she said. “I’ve hopefully helped so many people – I’ve gotten so many messages – so if I can do that, then that’s what I’m gonna do.”
Turns out Biles has complicated feelings about the topic of legacy, which she revealed during the post-screening, moderated by “Access Hollywood” and “House Guest” host Scott Evans. In the conversation, Evans mentioned an exchange they’d had backstage, where Biles questioned why the topic of “legacy” would come up.
“Usually, when you’re using the world legacy, it means you’re done. So I don’t have an answer for you,” Biles said, indicating that her story isn’t over yet, but stopping short of making a declaration about whether she plans to make a run for the 2028 Olympics in L.A.
Museums that celebrate women’s accomplishments, including in sports
During the conversation, Biles shared more about her mental health journey and why she’d been hesitant to open up about certain elements with the public.
“I kind of picked and chose whenever I would speak to media. [They] were like, ‘What was your regimen for this morning?’ And if I said ‘Therapy,’ then they would want to know what I talked about in therapy,” Biles explained. “But that stuff was pretty sacred to me, because it’s my space, and what works for me might not work for other people.”
In the documentary, she shares that she’d gone to therapy the morning of the all-around final in Paris, but worried about being too open about that because she didn’t want people to think she was struggling like in Tokyo.
“This was more of a strength thing for me – to go in, do my visualizations, just talk to her, whatever I needed,” she said. “It wasn’t at a point of weakness, it was a point of strength. So I think that was hard because media tried to spin it as like, ‘Ooh, Simone was in therapy,’ but then once I did so well, they were like, ‘Oh, Simone went to therapy!”
Switching up the perception about mental wellness has been a journey for Biles too. When she first started therapy, she stopped going after a couple of months because she felt better.
“I saw it as a gymnastics injury,” Biles explained. “If you were to get injured, you go to the doctor; they would say three to six weeks, or three to six months, or you get surgery.”
So she couldn’t understand why, after a year, she wasn’t fully okay yet and felt she needed to go back. What she realized was that taking care of your mental wellbeing is a forever thing.
“Everybody’s journey is unique and different, and I truly believe I’ll be going to therapy for the rest of my life, and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean I’m broken. That’s strength.” As the crowd applauded in agreement, Biles added: “You deserve that help.”
2024 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media; Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
FEATURE IMAGE CAPTION: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Simone Biles speaks during Netflix’s “Simone Biles Rising” premiere event at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on Oct. 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)
