Threshold reveals skier's battles

Sometimes a life looks close to ideal from the outside, like for multiple Olympic medal and world record holder Jessie Diggens. A cross-country ski phenomenon in her Minnesota high school, she went on to be number one ranked in the world four times, plus rate as the World Cup Champion four times plus win a gold, silver, and two bronze Olympic medals.  Not only that, she grew a huge fan base, largely for her skills but also because she looks so good—blond, blue-eyed, trim.  But, as the documentary Threshold reveals, that “but” means something: she suffers from life threatening eating disorders. Some might think, “too thin, not possible.” But reality goes beyond that, and for an athlete of Diggins’ intensity, heart failure looms threateningly.  Diggins rarely referred to any of that during her heyday as a professional starting in 2011 at age 19. Nor do Threshold directors Torsten and Lars Brinkema reveal the issue immediately in their project, instead laying out the track of Jessie’s international fame. She boasts a huge following, but admittedly cross-country skiing lacks the same Olympic cache as swimming or gymnastics so her story may feel new to many. Bursting open Jessie’s background with extensive, visually arresting archival footage, the film turns the sport’s intrigue and intensity into something immediate and exhilarating. This helps any documentary. Conflict comes as interviews reveal Jessie’s underlying issues, the on-again, off-again condition that some might trivialize as a mental problem easily solved by finishing your dinner. Not so simple, says Jessie in her open and honest revelations that add dimension and depth to the Threshold documentary.  The result proves both eye-opening and deeply human, a reminder that even the brightest diamond can hide dangerous fractures.