‘Simone Biles Rising’ Trailer Released by Netflix Ahead of July Premiere

In the trailer for Netflix’s docuseries Simone Biles Rising, decorated gymnast Simone Biles takes her story—and its ending—into her own hands. The first four 45-minute episodes of the two-part series, made with Religion of Sports in association with the Olympic Channel, premiere on Wednesday, July 17—just over a week before the 2024 Summer Olympics kick off in Paris. Directed by Katie Walsh, Simone Biles Rising sees the star athlete discuss everything from her mental health and withdrawing from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to her personal relationships and life away from the gym.

With the documentary debuting so close to the 2024 Summer Olympics, it’s not surprising that Simone Biles Rising’s trailer begins with Biles’ insight into that world stage and her place on it. To that point, the two-minute trailer couldn’t find better bookend quotes than “I have always had really good intuition about things, and, unfortunately, I felt that way about the Olympics” and “I get to write my own ending.” The docuseries teases that it will chronicle Biles stepping away from the mat and returning to it in 2023. Simone Biles Rising will also feature interviews with Simone Biles, friends, family, and fellow gymnasts.

Simone Biles Rising’s synopsis reads as follows:

Simone Biles has unfinished business. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she was one of the biggest stories leading into the Games. But in sport, as in life, competitions do not always go as planned. And for Simone, the world had a front row seat as her private struggle with mental health exploded on the international stage – forcing her to withdraw from the competition. Since then, Simone has put in the hard work: facing the difficult traumas of her past, learning to manage her mental health, embracing her journey, and in the process, rebuilding her gymnastics from the ground up. Her courage to soar knows no bounds as this summer she plans to return to the Olympic stage once again to do what she’s always done – be the best Simone that she can be. Because through it all, Simone still rises.

Simone Biles Rising Key Art. Photo courtesy of Netflix.

“We are all the authors of our own journeys, and I am in a place in my life where I’m comfortable with who I am and what I’ve been through as an athlete, but most of all, as a person. Gymnastics is what I do but it’s not who I am, and I’m excited for people to see another side of me outside of competition. I know there are young girls out there who look to me for inspiration and are faced with similar challenges, and my hope is that this documentary helps to empower them to be true to who they are and never give up on their dreams. ‘Still I Rise,’” Simone Biles shared in a statement.

The seven-time Olympic medallist also shared the Simone Biles Rising trailer on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “can’t wait for y’all to see.”

“Simone is a once-in-a-generation athlete who has not only pushed the boundaries of gymnastics, but also redefined the meaning of success by putting her mental health above medals and titles. While her athletic abilities are unmatched, it’s the human component to her story that I’m proud to share alongside the remarkable team at Religion of Sports,” Katie Walsh, Director of Simone Biles Rising, shared.

“Simone Biles has won the hearts of fans across the world through her unparalleled excellence as gymnast, bravery in the face of public mental health struggles, and relentless determination. This lovingly crafted series will not only inspire, but also amplify necessary conversations around the challenges athletes face with mental health,” Gotham Chopra, co-founder and Executive Producer at Religion of Sports, said.

Chopra, Ameeth Sankaran, Giselle Parets, Janey Miller, JT Taylor, and Yiannis Exarchos executive produce Simone Biles Rising.