After amassing 11 Olympic medals, Simone Biles is enjoying a rare pause following her Paris Olympics masterclass, where she captured three golds and a silver. But slowing life’s pace hasn’t dulled her fire; her relentless drive has now propelled her onto an entirely new stage: The Emmys. In 2024, her journey took an exhilarating turn as she earned a Primetime Emmy nomination in the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series category at the 77th Emmy Awards. Now, with her documentary stirring conversation, the show’s director has stepped forward to reveal the unknown behind its making.

Well, even though they didn’t win the Emmys, it was still a remarkable endeavor for them. And they did bag the PGA Award for Best Sports Program, along with two Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards for Best Sports Documentary and Best Limited Documentary Series. Meanwhile, in a conversation with The Golden Derby, the director of the series, Katie Walsh, talked about the struggles of the shooting.

Of all things, the Paris chapter was chaotic for her, as she was not only directing and traveling but also editing. “Every day we filmed, then at night we uploaded footage to L.A., gave notes, and got new cuts the next morning. set up an office in the back of a production van because traffic was crazy. I slept, but I never rested for three and a half weeks,” she shared.

It was a chaotic endeavor for her, and that’s palpable given the fact that Team USA—specifically the gymnastics team—was on a mission to claim all the golds.

Based on Biles’ Paris endeavor, the first part of the documentary, consisting of two episodes, was released on July 17, 2024. The second part followed on October 25, 2024.

Despite all the challenges, the documentary performed excellently. Within 24 hours of its debut, it became number one on the U.S. Top 10 list. In its first five days, it was watched about 4.7 million times, making it the third-most-watched TV title of the week. The series also remained in Netflix’s Top 10 most-watched list for at least two weeks.

But how did Biles react to this?

Simone Biles was awe-struck by her docuseries

While having a conversation with the Olympics.com, the day before her red carpet walk, she revealed, “I was focused so much on the Olympics that whenever I watched it back, that was kind of the release that I had. I think it’s just the emotions after the Olympics – you’re at such a high and you don’t really get to release until afterwards.”

The series shows that success isn’t about gold medals, but the courage to face challenges and face them with valour. During her conversation with the ‘Golden Derby,’ she expressed that this documentary will show people the background of a gymnast. “Behind the scenes, people don’t get that inside view. We wanted to take them through the whole process — the good days and the bad days — and make it feel real and raw. And with Netflix being global, it means everyone has the opportunity to watch.” 

The Emmys might have slipped from her hands, but it showed that she can navigate her career beyond the gym. Given that, do you expect her to shine on the silver screen more?