Simone Biles Risingpart 2 premieres on Netflix October 25, following the world-renowned gymnast’s trip to Paris for the 2024 Olympics. The first part of the docuseries, told across two episodes, charted her trip to Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics (held in 2021 due to the pandemic), and explored the factors that ultimately led her to drop out of the competition. Releasing only a few months after Biles’ record-breaking performance in Paris,Simone Biles Risingpart 2 not only offers a deeper look at what happened at the Olympics, but also follows the gymnast and her family through the event and its lead-up.
Documenting it all is director, producer, and multiple Emmy Award winner Katie Walsh. Walsh has been working with the athlete since 2019, first on a Facebook series titledSimone vs. Herselfand then withSimone Biles Rising.Walsh worked with Biles and theother gymnasts inSimone Biles Risingto tell a full picture of the gymnast’s story, going as far as to quickly wrangle a crew and hop on a plane once she found out Biles would be participating in the Paris Olympics.
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Screen Rantspoke with Katie Walsh aboutSimone Biles Risingpart 2. Walsh revealed what it was like to witness Biles’ toughest moments on the road to Paris firsthand, discussed crafting the documentary without distracting Biles from her own goals, and more. Walsh even weighed in on whether or not she thinksSimone Biles is retiring after the 2024 Olympics.
Katie Walsh On The Wild Ride Of Making Simone Biles Rising Part 2
“We Didn’t Know If We Were Going To Be Making This Film”
Screen Rant: There’s a metaphor in here—you follow [Simone Biles] as she’s building her house at the same time she’s building her legacy.
Katie Walsh: Thank you for noticing.
Did you feel like, by making this documentary, you were playing a part in all of that?
Katie Walsh: I feel I was actively observing all of that. I certainly wasn’t a part of any decision making, but it was such an honor just to be there sharing that space and watching her grow into this next phase of her life. It just felt like you said—it was the perfect metaphor for this step. This stretch from Tokyo to Paris has been all about rebuilding and creating a stronger foundation to live and work off of, and so it felt very appropriate that she was both doing that in her personal life and also her professional life.
There were moments where she wasn’t even sure she was going to Paris. As someone who has been following her for so long, was there a point at which you considered the story closed, only to open it back up again?
Katie Walsh: Yeah, definitely. We didn’t know. She didn’t know if she was going to return to competition until last summer, and we didn’t know if we were going to be making this film and following her throughout the whole season.
I’ve been working with Simone since 2019, so we had this relationship [already] established that we were able to build off of, which was really helpful. Once she did decide that it was go time for all the things… I jumped on a plane and left within probably 72 hours of getting that green light. But, we already had this benefit of having this history together, and I think that really helped—to [be able to] jump right in and not really start from square one.
Walsh On The Intricacies Of Making An Emotional Docuseries On A Tight Turnaround
I read an interview, I think it was withThe Hollywood Reporter, from right before you went to Paris where you revealed you had outlines and said something like, “We’ll see how much reality matches the outlines.” How did the trip match up with your expectations?
Katie Walsh: The end result was great in the sense that USA won the team gold, and Simone won the all-around. Those were the big pillars. That was her focus, that was what she wanted, and we got there. The trip there wasn’t as expected because she pulled her calf muscle at the very front of the competition, in qualifications, and that was a surprise. We didn’t know, in that moment, if she was even going to have the chance to try for those two big wins that she really wanted.
It certainly wasn’t a straight road, but at the end of the day, she got to the destination she wanted. As a filmmaker and as someone that has watched her and wanted the best for her, I was so happy that she got to that final stop. It also kind of made the journey a little more interesting because you just didn’t know, and it showed her determination and will.
One of the things that she was criticized about in Tokyo was that people called her a quitter. [As] you see in this movie, she could have easily walked away after tearing her calf muscle and it would’ve been a totally understandable thing to do. And that never crossed her mind. I know it didn’t. It was very full circle in that she was able to really show that she was so determined and that nothing would get in her way. At least most things. Maybe the twisties, but thankfully she didn’t have that again.
One of the most compelling things about watching this, to me, was the qualifier where she was kind of injured and pushing through it and was able to make it. But you don’t know she’s going to make it as you’re shooting it. Can you talk about what that experience was like for you?
Katie Walsh: That was so stressful. My head was spinning in those moments. We’re there and experiencing it real time, and I hear her say, “I just pulled my calf muscle all the way.” I knew she was coming in nursing that injury, so, “What does that mean, ‘pull it all the way’? Can you walk? What’s going to happen?” I wasn’t sure if she was going to finish that event, but in order to compete in all the other events you have to do well in qualifications, so it’s a really pivotal competition that you need to do well in.
[But] that happened, and within maybe five minutes of that, she went out and did this amazing floor routine, which I still can’t believe she did. Then she went over to vault and did a Yurchenko double pike. I don’t know how nervous she was—I was dying.
After the competition, she had to go through a whole series of doctors’ appointments and meetings and checks, and my DP, crew, and I basically sat on the sidewalk outside the medical office in the Olympic Village for more than two hours, just waiting. It was like being in a hospital waiting room, except it was the sidewalk. [We were] waiting to see what was going to transpire and if she was going to be able to continue on. It was stressful, it was pressure-filled, and there were certainly many outlines going through my head of how this movie was going to end if she wasn’t going to keep competing. I’m glad that it all worked out the way it did and she was able to continue.
Pressure and mental health are such a big part of her public journey. You had so much access, especially when filming and talking about her injuries, doubts, and fears. Did you work to make sure you weren’t contributing to those factors?
Katie Walsh: Yes. It was a responsibility that I did not take lightly. The last thing I want to do is interrupt what her experience is, or add to the pressure, like you said. We were really thoughtful and mindful about what we talked about [and] when.
For instance, there was an off season. We started covering her in Worlds last year, and then there were a couple months where they were getting ready for the season ahead, which was the Olympic season. We frontloaded interviews during that off season that had to do with some of the more sensitive subjects that she needed to talk about for the film. That way, she wasn’t trying to do that and also compete.
There were certainly things that came up along the way that you didn’t anticipate during the off season, so you had to talk about them. We just tried to collaborate with her and find the best times to do these interviews and, to her credit, she was so open and willing to talk about whatever subject I asked her about. There was never a time where she shut down and wouldn’t talk about something or go somewhere with me. We did our best to be mindful of her needs and give her the space she needed when she needed it, and also still tell the story that was unfolding.
Paris was not that long ago and you have two really beautiful episodes centered on it. How did you find that narrative, put it together, and get it done so quickly?
Katie Walsh: It was definitely a challenge. The team that we had working on this was so… awesome is an understatement. [They were] so buttoned up and ready for that challenge. We knew it was coming. We knew episode four was going to be a real push, and we had the benefit of having episodes one, two, and three prior to that to really create a rhythm and figure out how, internally, as a team, we were going to work so that when it came to that episode four, we had a plan.
I would be in Paris filming all day, and each night our team would send the footage up into the cloud and miraculously down into the computers of my editors on the West Coast. They would go through all the footage, we’d talk about it before I’d go to bed, they’d go through the footage while I was sleeping, I’d wake up to notes and texts and emails, and we’d talk about it in the morning. I’d go out and shoot and try to stay on top of what was going on in the moment, but also anticipate any needs we might need in post. Then, we’d rinse and repeat.
We did that the whole time I was in Paris, and from the minute I landed back in California too. It was a good challenge. I’ve done some fast turnarounds in more of a live setting, so it’s not the first time, but [we were able to] to create a whole series and a whole episode in that kind of environment and also not leave anything behind where you don’t regret that you didn’t do something. I’m really proud of it and I’m proud of the whole team because it took a pretty sizable village to pull it off.
Walsh Discusses Watching Biles’ “Ebb And Flow” With Gymnastics
“She’s Matured, And She’s Helped The Sport Mature With Her”
Because you’ve worked with her for so long, how have you seen Simone’s attitude toward gymnastics change over the years?
Katie Walsh: I think she has fallen in love, fallen out of love, and come back in love with the sport. She’s matured, and she’s helped the sport mature with her. She’s 27 now—she’s one of the oldest all-around champions in the Olympics—and prior to this win, there hadn’t been an all-around champion outside of their teenage years since the ‘70s. She has shown the sport what she’s capable of and helped lift people up along the way with her.
It’s not easy to do what she does and train as hard as she does day in and day out for so many years. That naturally comes with some ebbs and flows with how you feel about what you’re doing, but I think, at the end of the day, she loves the sport and she is so good at it. I think just her ability to understand her body and what she’s capable of—and also the way that she’s been an advocate off the gymnastics floor for other athletes, women, and human beings—has allowed her to evolve with the sport and for her to bring it up along with her.
Do you see her competing again in four years?
Katie Walsh: That is the magic question. I don’t know the answer. I’ve ebbed and flowed with how I feel about it. I thought there was a time where I thought for sure she would be back, and I was telling her I would be babysitting her kids while she’s out winning gold medals. I had that for a long time. Now, I’m not so sure.
She’s done everything. She’s accomplished all the things that she wanted to accomplish, and she’s done it so well and so gracefully, and she’s so secure in who she is that I can see a scenario where she’s ready to move on. She’s a grown woman—she’s married. She has so many other aspects of her life and so much to look forward to in the future that I can see a world where she feels like this is it.
That said, she’s also a fierce competitor and this amazing athlete who, if she did choose to take two years off and then come back… I have no doubt she’d be capable of doing it. So, your guess is as good as mine, to tell you the truth, but I’ll be very interested to see what unfolds in the next four years.
What’s Next For Katie Walsh?
Maybe Something A Little Colder
Doing something like this is a huge commitment. You’ve followed Biles for years. Is there another athlete or sport you feel like you’d want to put that much time and energy into following at this moment?
Katie Walsh: I love doing this. There’s never a moment where it gets old, spending time with these amazing athletes and really interesting people and just being able to sort of exist in their world for a little while. The list is long. There’s not a “one person” type thing, but I love Olympic sports. The Winter Olympics are two years away. I definitely love the Winter Olympics as much as the summer, so hopefully there will be more portraits in my future.
But I’m just so grateful for this opportunity. It’s not just about filming Simone the amazing gymnast, but it’s about getting to know the Biles family and Simone, the human being. I adore them, and I feel like we will stay in each other’s lives well beyond this project.
About Simone Biles Rising Part 2
Simone Biles Rising part 2 charts Simone Biles’ return to the world stage in the 2024 Paris Olympics. It features interviews with Biles, her family, and fellow gymnasts, and documents the ups and downs on the road to Paris.
Simone Biles: Rising
Cast
After stepping away from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to mental health struggles, Simone Biles embarks on a transformative journey. The docuseries follows her as she overcomes past traumas, rebuilds her gymnastics skills, and prepares for a triumphant return to the Olympic stage in Paris.
