Simone Biles Doc Director Says ‘Super Hero’ Gymnast Is Authentic (Exclusive)

As the world watches and waits to see if Simone Biles will capture gold this week at the Paris Summer Olympics, documentarian Katie Walsh has had a front-row seat on her epic journey back to the world stage.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, the Simone Biles Rising director — who has filmed the Olympian off and on for the last five years — says that behind the scenes, the 27-year-old gymnast has an “authentic” personality, loves to play practical jokes, and that all the while, she has remained true to her mission of attaining greatness in gymnastics, despite many challenges.

“Sometimes I think it’s easy to take for granted what she’s capable of and what she does, and that’s just going to win all the things because she’s so good,” Walsh tells PEOPLE. “And you watch her and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, she’s never going to fall, she’s so great.’ But she’s a human being and she has human being emotions and she has good days and bad days. And I think that what I hope is that you get to see some of that side of her too.” 

In the first two episodes of the four-part Netflix series, Biles’ experience at the Tokyo Olympics is documented in behind-the-scenes footage that show both her bout with the twisties and her struggle to navigate being separated from her family and friends, who were unable to travel due to COVID-19.

Walsh herself was not able to make the trip to Japan. Instead, she shows viewers a fresh vantage point — from inside the Houston-area home where Biles’ family members got the news that she had pulled out of the competition.

“It was quick,” Walsh recalls of the moment. “But [Simone] called her [mom] and was like, ‘I can’t do it.’ To Nellie’s credit, who is such a wonderful human being and caring and compassionate, supportive mom, she immediately said to her, ‘You can’t do it. It’s okay. You don’t need to do this. Don’t hurt yourself.’ ”

Walsh adds, “I mean, obviously that in hindsight makes a lot of sense, but when you’re in the moment and you haven’t had a chance to shift gears, everyone was just surprised. It’s like four in the morning in Houston. Oh yeah, you are really like, ‘What?’ ”

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The documentary also shows the social media pushback, and how Biles had to reconcile the notion of disappointing not only herself but fans around the world.

After taking two years away from international competition before mounting her comeback, the seven-time Olympic medalist has been successful due to a number of factors, including the love and support she gets in her personal life from her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens.

“I hope that in seeing this film, you really see the genuine love they have for each other and the genuine caring they have for each other,” Walsh tells PEOPLE. “Jonathan is so supportive, and I mean, he’s into gymnastics now. He’s keeping track of everything. He knows what’s going on. And same with Simone. She’s going to all his games, she’s supporting him, they’re making time for each other, even in the height of their careers. They’re both very much in their careers and they’re carving out the space and prioritizing each other.”

The director continues, adding, “The way he looks at her and the way she looks at him is just true and undeniable. And I hope that through this film, you get to see a little of that and maybe feel a little of that love. And I mean, it’s such a beautiful thing, and I think it’s a big part of her success right now.”

With Owens, 29, off from training camp for a few days and en route to Paris to catch his wife’s gold medal bid, it remains to be seen if Biles’ performance on Tuesday, July 30 (in the team final) or Thursday, Aug. 1 (in the all-around final) will be impacted after she tweaked her calf during warmups on Sunday, July 28 during team qualifications.

Gotham Chopra, whose Religion of Sports helped produce the series as well as the previous Simone vs. Herself, tells PEOPLE that he feels Biles headed into the Summer Games with even more “maturity” and “self-awareness.”

“She’s grown up. Time has passed, a lot has happened in her life, just off the gym. … She’s clearly been doing the work,” he says, adding, “Her game has risen.” Executive producer Giselle Parets agrees: “She’s playing with joy, for sure. Now we really see it. It’s a big difference.”

Yet from Walsh’s perspective, she hopes viewers of Simone Rising will see another side of the fierce competitor. “You can be the superhero and also be a human being at the same time, of course,” the filmmaker says. “And she is both of those things. And I think trying to keep her on a pedestal of she’s just the GOAT is really doing a disservice to the other parts of her personality.”

Recalling the times she’s played practical jokes on members of the crew, Walsh adds that “she’s so fun. She’s funny.”

Additionally, the director says, Biles “is really kind and compassionate. She has a great circle of friends that she’s had for a really long time, which I think says a lot about someone. She has a really great support system in her family and in her husband, and there’s more to her than gymnastics. And I hope that you get to see glimpses [of that]. She has found space for some of those other things. And you’ve been able to kind of be with her for some of that. And so I hope you get to experience that in the film.”

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The first two episodes of Simone Biles Rising are streaming now on Netflix. The remaining episodes are set to premiere in fall 2024.