Greetings again from the darkness. We envision the makeup of a champion to be confident, fearless, and to possess the heart of a lion. Documentarians (and brothers) Lars Brinkema and Torsten Brinkema profile legendary cross-country skier Jessie Diggins who courageously shatters that myth while telling her very personal story.
Jessie begins by informing us of her desire to be perfect from a very early age. We assume this is going to be the tale of PA – Perfectionists Anonymous. Of course, her story takes a much different path. She’s from Afton, Minnesota, and trains there when she’s not traveling for events. Her parents, Clay and Deb, show us Jessie’s baby photos and family videos. They are clearly supportive … not just of her athletic endeavors, but also of her personal challenges.
Winning her first high school varsity race as a 7th grader “changed everything” for Jessie. She became obsessed with being the best, and defined that by working harder than anyone else and suffering for her art/sport/goals. In the 2018 Olympics, Jessie won the first ever Cross-Country Skiing gold medal for the United States. She also became the World Champion, widely acknowledged as the sport’s best. However, Jessie tells us that despite her successes and global adoration, she was facing issues with body image and an eating disorder. With the courage of a champion, she decided to go public.
The reason Jessie’s story is so important is because it acts as a cautionary tale. Until she went public, no one knew her struggles. We hear from her parents, her husband Wade, and her team coach Matt Whitcomb. These are the people closest to her and the ones who cared more for getting her ‘well’ … Jessie refers to it as being “sick”. Racing became the reason Jessie wanted to beat this. In fact, the race footage is stunning. This highly trained athlete experiences exhaustion at a level that more than 99% of human beings will never know. She builds up her body only to tear it down. Imagine doing this while battling a eating disorder and mental health issues. Jessie often hid behind a mask of big smiles, yet once the truth was known, those smiles could not be trusted. I go back to cautionary tale – know the truth about yourself and your loved ones.
Available on VOD beginning August 28, 2026
Movie Reviews from the Dark 