Parents' Guide to

Defying Gravity

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 12+

Docu pays homage to female gymnastics; some heavy themes.

TV YouTube Reality TV 2020
Defying Gravity Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

  • Defying Gravity Series: Performing on the balance beam.
  • Defying Gravity Series: Laurie Hernandez.
  • Defying Gravity Series: Staying focused.

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What's the Story?

DEFYING GRAVITY: THE UNTOLD STORY OF WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS is a YouTube/Glamour streaming series that documents the thoughts and feelings about women's gymnastics from some of the biggest champions in the sport. With the help of interviews and archival footage, former, current, and up-and-coming gymnastics champions share how they started, how they've evolved as athletes, and their past, current, and future goals. They also discuss the hard work, sacrifices, and commitments they made to make it to the top of their sport. Some of the history behind the way the women's gymnastics has changed over the years, and the skill sets required for each apparatus, is shared. Also addressed is some of the controversial aspects of the sport, including sexual abuse, and the decision-making process associated with choosing a U.S. national team to compete at the Olympics.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

This series, which was filmed prior to the cancellation of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games due to the COVID-19 pandemic, features champion gymnasts from different countries and divisions sharing their thoughts on the sport and their participation in it. International champions like former Russian gymnast Olga Korbut, former Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci, and U.S. champions like Ally Raiseman and Laurie Hernandez, offer their unique perspectives about what being an elite gymnast is like, and the highs and lows associated with it. It also features collegiate champions like Katelyn Ohashi, who chose college sports over an Olympic career, and up-and-coming Olympic hopefuls like Morgan Hurd, as she prepares to compete for a spot on the Olympic team.

One specific episode of the series addresses the systemic and pervasive verbal and sexual abuse in the sport, which has been allowed to persist for over half a century, and which has only recently finally been confronted. These details are disturbing, but it also highlights the level of courage and strength these athletes have had to compete within the backdrop of these horrors. But most of Defying Gravity focuses on the positive aspects of the sport, and underscores the intense passion these women have for it. If you're a gymnastics fan, no doubt you will enjoy what this docuseries has to offer.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the gymnasts featured in Defying Gravity. What makes each of them a gymnastics champion? How did/do they each contribute to the sport?

  • Why is hard work not enough to reach elite level gymnastics? What other qualities do female gymnasts have to have in order to make it that far in the sport? Is this fair? Problematic?

  • How does gymnastics differ from other high-profile internatonal sports?

TV Details

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