Tanni Grey-Thompson
Tanni Grey-Thompson remains Wales's greatest ever Paralympic athlete, with 16 medals to her name. This documentary reveals the incredible grit of a world champion through a single race. But it's not the race that won Tanni her first gold medal, and it's not the race in which she broke her first world record. This is the story of the race she lost: a failure so dramatic, so public and so painful that it almost ended her career. Reflecting upon the most excruciating two minutes in her racing life, Tanni shares what she learned that day on the track – not from winning but from losing.
It's 2004. The Athens Paralympics are about to kick off, and Tanni is at the top of her game: one of the most successful Welsh athletes of all time, but at 35, she knows that this will be her final Paralympics. She's going to go out with a bang. She's expected to medal at every event and bring back a handful of golds. Her first race is the 800 metres, her strongest event, and she is expected to win a gold. She performed well in the qualifying rounds, but this is where it really counts: the final. As she warms up, she's feeling good. Her body is fit, her mind is focused. Tanni often gets a sixth sense before a race - she can see herself crossing the line in first position and taking home the gold. Today, as she wheels onto the track, her mind spools forward to the finish line, and she sees herself... failing. The starting gun fires, and the race is on. She starts off well, but doubt seeps in. Fear takes over. She can't decide where to place herself - should she move to the front or stay in the pack and wait for a sprint finish? She falters, and in just a few seconds, the decision is taken from her. Suddenly Tanni knows she's not going to make gold, silver or even bronze. She's not going to place anywhere. She endures the worst performance of her career.
She seriously considers flying home. But this is her last Paralympics, her last chance, and Tanni Grey-Thompson is not a quitter. The next race is the 100 metres, her weakest event. Sick with nerves, she throws up 12 times. Her throat is raw as she enters the warm-up space and is approached by her rival, Francesca Porcellato. 'Whatever happens out there, you're still the best in the world,' Francesca says. With these words ringing in her ears, Tanni rolls up to the start line, hands trembling, heart pounding. The starting gun fires. Francesca pulls out first. Tanni is behind but gathering pace, and now she draws level, gains momentum and wins the race. The comeback is successful. She didn't just beat her rivals that day, she conquered her own fear.
For all her incredible successes, the race that has stayed with her most intensely over the years is the 800m. She has never been able to pinpoint what went wrong or why. It was defeat that showed her the depth of her own resilience and made her 100m win all the sweeter. Tanni reflects on what she learned from the lowest point in her career: that defeat can be a gift, kindness is a superpower, and we are all so much more than our mistakes.
Trailer
Recently Updated Shows
The Repair Shop
The Repair Shop is a workshop of dreams, where broken or damaged cherished family heirlooms are brought back to life.
Furniture restorers, horologists, metal workers, ceramicists, upholsterers and all manner of skilled craftsmen and women have been brought together to work in one extraordinary space, restoring much-loved possessions to their former glory.
Many of these items have incredible stories behind them and a unique place in history: from an accordion played in the Blitz by a woman who is now in her 90s, to a beautifully crafted clock made by a father who was completely blind; a Pinball machine that is currently being used as a kitchen counter, and a Davenport desk with its trademark fake drawers which fooled burglars - and their crowbar.
The Repair Shop is an antidote to our throwaway culture and shines a light on the wonderful treasures to be found in homes across the country.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
The journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy. Finding their way home — and meeting unlikely allies and enemies — will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.
On Call
On Call is an adrenalized and visceral police drama that puts us inside the squad car and on the streets with Long Beach Police. Through training officer Traci Harmon and rookie Alex Diaz, the series examines how the complexities of the job affects the human condition. Harmon will be enlightened by a kid from the streets, while Diaz will learn that policing isn't black and white - it requires shades of grey. Each episode tracks the duo as they respond to a new radio call, arriving on the scene to resolve an incident. Incorporating a mixture of bodycam, dash-camera, and cellphone footage to create a cinema verité effect, the innovative series explores the morality of protecting and serving a community.
When Calls the Heart
When Calls the Heart is inspired by Janette Oke's bestselling book series about the Canadian West, the series tells the captivating story of Elizabeth Thatcher, a young teacher accustomed to her high society life, who receives her first classroom assignment in Coal Valley, a small coal mining town where life is simple, but often fraught with challenges. Upon arrival, Elizabeth befriends Abigail Stanton, a wife and mother whose husband, the foreman of the mine, along with a dozen other miners, has just been killed in an explosion. The newly widowed women find their faith is tested when they must go to work in the mines to keep a roof over their heads. Set against the wild canvas of a 19th century coal town, Elizabeth will have to learn the ways of the frontier if she wishes to thrive in the rural west on her own.
Yellowjackets
Yellowjackets follows a girls' high school soccer team. In 1975, the Dearborn High Yellowjackets became the first team in state history to qualify for the Girls' U.S. Soccer Championship Series in Manchester, NH. They never got the chance to compete. Equal parts survival epic, horror story and pitch black coming of age, Yellowjackets tells the story of the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the Ontario wilderness, chronicling their descent from a friendly, cooperative team to warring, cannibalistic clans. At the same time, it follows the lives they've attempted to piece back together nearly twenty-five years later, proving that the past is never really past and what began out in the wilderness is far from over.