An intimate documentary follows Olympic champion Jessie Diggins through a pivotal season, revealing her battle with an eating disorder and the courage behind her comeback.
At the highest level of sport, strength is often measured in seconds, centimetres, and podium finishes. Yet for Jessie Diggins, the true test of endurance unfolded far from the finish line. THRESHOLD, directed by Lars Brinkema and Torsten Brinkema and executive produced by Patrick Dempsey, offers a rare, unguarded look at the emotional terrain behind Olympic glory.
Premiering on Peacock on February 23 to coincide with the Winter Olympic spotlight, the 85-minute feature documentary follows Diggins through a single, high-stakes season. The result is an intimate portrait of a champion confronting an eating disorder at the peak of her career, while continuing to compete at the highest level of international cross-country skiing.
A season lived in real time
The film unfolds across one competitive season, immersing viewers with Diggins and the U.S. Ski Team as they navigate gruelling races, relentless travel, and mounting expectations. From competitions above the Arctic Circle to a historic World Cup staged on American snow for the first time in over twenty-five years, the stakes remain high throughout.
Interwoven with present-day vérité footage are formative memories that trace how a belief in controlling body mass as a pathway to success took root early in Diggins’ career. The structure resists tidy hindsight. Progress and pressure coexist. Recovery does not follow a straight line. Each race becomes both a physical contest and an emotional reckoning.
The camera’s proximity creates tension. Victory feels fragile. Vulnerability becomes visible. In allowing this access, Diggins transforms what might have been a conventional sports documentary into something far more human.
Redefining resilience in elite competition
Diggins is widely known for her capacity to push into what endurance athletes call the “Pain Cave,” summoning one final surge when others fade. A three-time Olympic medalist and the most decorated American cross-country skier in history, she has built her legacy on her refusal to quit. She heads into the 2026 Olympic Games competing in six events, aiming to further cement her standing among the sport’s greats.
Yet THRESHOLD reframes resilience. It expands the definition beyond grit and gold medals to include therapy sessions, hard conversations, and moments of doubt. By speaking openly about relapse and recovery, Diggins challenges the stigma that still shadows mental health in elite sport.
Her advocacy now extends beyond performance. She speaks candidly about athlete well-being, the psychological toll of perfectionism, and the environmental fragility of winter sport landscapes shaped by climate change. These dimensions enrich the film’s narrative and broaden its relevance beyond ski racing.
The filmmakers behind the lens
For Lars Brinkema, storytelling emerged from documenting the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis. His award-winning short I Pray examined community resilience and the distortion of protest narratives. That grounding in lived experience informs his directorial debut. When Diggins entrusted him with her story, it became a responsibility as much as a creative project.
Torsten Brinkema brings his own history to the film. A former collegiate ski racer, he understands the sport's culture, language, and unspoken codes. His background lends credibility and empathy to the footage captured on snow. Together, the brothers craft a visual language that balances sweeping winter landscapes with intimate, interior moments.
The film’s emotional texture is amplified by a score from composer Julianna Barwick alongside Mary Lattimore. Barwick’s layered vocal compositions lend the narrative a reflective, almost meditative quality, allowing viewers to sit with discomfort and hope in equal measure.
Beyond the finish line
At its core, THRESHOLD examines the fragile space between ambition and self-preservation. Elite sport often rewards self-denial, discipline, and relentless forward motion. This film asks what happens when those same qualities become harmful.
By choosing transparency, Diggins offers something powerful to athletes and non-athletes alike. Relapse does not erase progress. Asking for help demonstrates strength. Healing can coexist with excellence.
The documentary arrives at a moment when conversations around mental health in sport are gaining urgency. From gymnastics to swimming to distance running, athletes have begun to speak publicly about the hidden costs of high performance. THRESHOLD contributes meaningfully to that dialogue, centring one athlete’s lived experience without sensationalism.
As winter sport continues to evolve under environmental and cultural pressures, Diggins’ story carries added resonance. It reminds viewers that behind every televised finish line stands a human being navigating private battles. Medals glitter. Recovery is quieter work.
With its premiere timed to the Olympic season, THRESHOLD invites audiences to view the races on screen differently. The film does not diminish achievement. Instead, it deepens our understanding of what achievement truly demands.
For those who see endurance as more than a physical act, this documentary lands with lasting force.
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