Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women's Gymnastics

Sports

Exploring the events and milestones, hopefuls and icons, heartbreaks and triumphs of the sport, each episode of Defying Gravity: The Untold Story of Women's Gymnastics raises questions on the most challenging and thrilling aspects of gymnastics. How do athletes preserve their passion, confidence, and voice in a sport that pushes them beyond their limits? How do gymnasts maintain their mental toughness and laser focus while contending with all the external pressures placed upon them? And in an era of difficulty-dominant scoring, how do athletes stay unafraid of their own power? The documentary series examines these sport-specific subjects, while going in-depth on the broader themes of self-expression and resilience. In addition, the series does not shy away from the darker aspects of the sport, showing how gymnasts overcome body image issues, ageism, and abuse. Episode 5 of the series features survivors describing the sport's culture of abuse and explaining how they're using their voices and the life skills that gymnastics taught them to reclaim their beloved sport.