Coming off of the tail end of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Netflix has announced a new docuseries featuring iconic athletes. Untold will take an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at some of the most controversial, shocking, and inspiring moments in sports history that viewers only saw a glimpse of…until now.

Untold will dive into the kind of stress, trauma, and secrets that go on behind the scenes of sports whether that be off-camera or in an athlete’s own head and heart. The series’ official synopsis is below:

“From the creators of Wild Wild Country, comes a five-part docuseries event that brings fresh eyes to tales from the wide world of sports. From tennis to boxing to basketball, these stories aren’t the ones you’ve heard before, even if you think you have. Premiering weekly, each film kicks off at a pivotal moment — the big fight, the Olympics, the playoffs — and then delves deep into what happened beyond the headlines, as told by those who lived it, to reveal the grit, resilience, heartbreak, triumph, violence, comedy and pathos beneath the sweat. Whether it’s the famous “Malice at the Palace” Pacers-Pistons brawl finally being unraveled by those who were on the inside, Olympian Caitlyn Jenner reflecting on her journey to winning gold, boxer Christy Martin in the fight of her life outside the ring, professional tennis player Mardy Fish opening up about his struggles with mental health, or a misfit band of hockey players known as the Trashers taking orders from the teenage son of an alleged mob boss, Untold gets to the heart of the passion and single-mindedness it takes to be a champion and the ways in which the triumphs can be undone off the field.”

Now that you know which athletes and stories will be the primary focus of the series, check out the trailer below:

Some of these are before my time, but it is cool to see a glimpse into several different sports. In that sense, there is a sort of unifying and humanistic approach to the documentary and how athletes from all areas have had their own very public issues and challenges over the years.

The films will be directed by Chapman Way and Maclain Way (Wild Wild Country), Floyd Russ (Zion), Laura Brownson (The Rachel Divide, Lemon), and Crystal Moselle (Betty, The Wolfpack).

The Way Brothers know how to successfully capture controversy and conflict, so their involvement as producers and directors makes complete sense.

According to IMDb, Moselle will be directing Caitlyn Jenner’s episode. Moselle has a strong talent for capturing the feminine experience within sports with her film Skate Kitchen and spin-off series Betty, which follows a group of female skateboarders. Her work is also very inclusive and respectful to the LGBTQ+ community, so it will be exciting to see her segment.

Brownson will direct the Deal with the Devil segment about Christy Martin while Russ will helm Malice at the Palace, focusing on NBA player Ron Artest (aka Metta World Peace later changed to Metta Sandiford-Artest) and the 2004 Pistons vs Pacers brawl. The Way Brothers will then direct the segment Breaking Point which focuses on Marty Fish as well as the segment Crimes and Penalties about the mob boss who bought his seventeen-year-old a professional hockey team.

Strength and Self-Care

Netflix chose the perfect time to release this docuseries. Currently, the globe is buzzing about gymnast Simone Biles dropping out of the Olympic competition in order to protect her mental and physical health. Her brave and bold decision forced audiences to reexamine the dedication, risks, and sacrifices that athletes make in order to obtain the gold medal and be considered the best in the world. Viewers are therefore revisiting the painful performance of Kerri Strug‘s gold-winning vault routine in the 1996 Olympics with newfound empathy.

The unfathomable amount of pressure to be the best in the world led Biles to focus on doing what is best for herself and ultimately team USA (who won silver!). Even off the mat, Biles is making power moves about how athletes are human and should be respectfully treated as such. That means taking care of their minds and bodies, which is a great reminder for all of us. On top of that, her performance and decision are stark reminders that trauma is real. One can only imagine how difficult her return to the Olympics was as the only survivor of convicted sex offender Larry Nassar. Her strength isn’t just physical; Biles displayed a vulnerable portrayal of emotional and mental strength while the entire world was watching. This is why she will always be the GOAT.

Untold will premiere on Netflix on August 10.

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