Katie Walsh had the opportunity of a lifetime to follow Simone Biles through the Paris Olympics.
The 27-year-old gymnast was aiming to make a return to the big stage after experiencing “ups and downs” that forced her to miss several events at the 2021 Olympics. She won only one medal at the Tokyo Games, a bronze medal.
Although the pressure was on in Paris, Walsh, director of Netflix's “Simone Biles: Rising,” said Paris was “calm, cool, calm.”
“But I'm sure she felt the pressure,” Walsh said in a recent interview with FOX News Digital. “I think it's impossible not to do that. Even though she has tried her best and has managed to juggle all the external expectations and different tasks, she is still the face of the Olympics and everyone thinks so. Everyone was just there to watch her, even though they were there to watch her compete. ”
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Simone Biles of the United States smiles during the national anthem with her gold medal during the vault medal ceremony on the first day of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympic Gymnastics Finals at Bercy Arena on August 3, 2024 in Paris. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Biles got his revenge in Paris by taking home three gold medals and one silver. Of course, she won four gold medals in Rio 2016, but missed out on a medal at the fifth Games in Paris. Overall, Walsh said he considers the Olympics to be very successful.
“She told me, I mean, as an outsider, we always expected her to win everything. But I think that for her, the team and everything around her is very important. You know, that's what she was really focused on,' and that's what she really wanted, so I don't think there was any disappointment in her medal count,” Walsh said. say.
Walsh was able to see it all up close and personal. She has known Biles for about five years and has covered her at both games and practices. But this was a different animal.
When asked what it was like to watch Biles in competitive mode, Walsh candidly replied: “It's wonderful.”
“I think the beauty of our relationship is that she feels like she wants to be herself in every moment. That's why I'm preparing for her last moments in her hotel room before she leaves for competition. We were there with her when we were there, so tense, so nervous…and so grateful for letting us into that moment, because it was just someone else. Because it's a difficult moment to have someone in your space, and she was able to just be there, and it really was. So sometimes he's very serious and very enthusiastic.
FILE – Simone Biles of the United States holds up her medal after the women's gymnastics individual event final at Bercy Arena during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
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“When you actually see her up close and see how high and how fast and how tight she's spinning, it's really amazing what she can do. I mean, you're like, 'Yes, no. I’m like, ‘There’s no way I can do that.’” Do that. ”
Biles may not be like many people in terms of celebrity or athlete status, but Walsh wants to let people know that he's still human.
“I think the ultimate goal is to empathize with her. When you see someone of her caliber competing and being as successful as she is, it's hard to empathize with her because people who can do that… Because there's no one else. She's all alone in that category,” Walsh said. “But I think as you watch this movie, you understand more about her as a person, as a human being, not as a superhuman. And as you get to know her a little bit more, you realize that she's normal in many ways.” You'll understand.''
Team USA gold medalist Simone Biles stands on the podium during the medal ceremony for the women's individual all-around gymnastics final on day 6 of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games at Bercy Arena in Paris on August 1, 2024. (Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images)
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“She still has her own struggles, and those struggles are real and very relatable, because most of us go through them at some point…and you get to know her as a person. And I think you get to understand what she's doing on the floor.'' Because it makes it that much more special and unique and just miraculous. I mean, she can do it with a lot of attention and expectations there, not just her. But for her as an athlete and an activist, it makes what she does even more amazing. ”
The first part of the series was released in July. Part 2 will be released on Friday.
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