This comedy drama isn’t always at its best, but it’s still a heartwarming tale, which makes for easy viewing. The story us loosely inspired by the American Samoa soccer team, who suffered the worst loss in World Cup history, losing to Australia 31-0 in 2001. With the 2014 World Cup approaching, the team recruits a down on his luck, maverick coach to help turn their fate around. Directed and co-written by one of my favourite boys, Taika Waititi, who also stars as the hilarious American Samoan priest and narrator. This is a pleasant, uplifting tale.

This wonderful comedy became a John Candy family favourite, and it’s been viewed many times. I took another look at it, this time on my own as all the kids have grown up. It wasn’t quite as much fun watching it without them. The story is loosely based on the Jamaican first ever national bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics. They enlist the help of a disgraced former Olympic gold medal winner to reluctantly coach them. However, when they reach Calgary, they’re treated as outsiders by the other teams, who fear they’ll only succeed in embarrassing the sport. Dearest John Candy, how we do miss him. This film was towards the end of his career. He died in 1994.

This is the hysterical life story, inspired by true events, of Michael “Eddie” Edwards aka Eddie the Eagle, an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself, even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach, Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, which was also the debut of the Jamaican Bobsled team. It was all happening in 1988! Directed by actor Dexter Fletcher, who you may be familiar with through his appearances in Guy Ritchie’s films.

This is the powerful story of Ruthie Bolton – Olympic gold medalist, former Auburn Tigers basketball player and a victim of domestic violence. She has become an activist for women across the world. An inspirational story of a remarkable woman. In 2014, Ruthie was inducted into the Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame. She has written two books, From Pain to Peace and The Ride of a Lifetime.

With the 2024 Tour happening right now, this engrossing documentary looks at Greg LeMond’s pivotal 1986 Tour, and his increasingly vicious rivalry with friend, teammate, and mentor Bernard Hinault. The reigning Tour champion and brutal competitor known as “The Badger,” Hinault ‘promised’ to help LeMond to his first victory, in return for LeMond supporting him in the previous year. But in a sport that purports to reward teamwork, it’s really every man for himself. Before Lance Armstrong, there was Greg LeMond, who is now the first and only American to win the Tour de France.

This revealing documentary takes a look back at the 1994 Winter Olympics and the scandal that rocked the figure skating world at the time. The two key athletes, Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding were among the favourites to win the gold medal at the games. With only weeks to go before leaving for Lillehammer, Kerrigan was struck on the knee by a mystery attacker, putting her Olympic dreams in jeopardy. This documentary seems to be devoted to Harding’s version of events. Kerrigan didn’t want to appear, but her family and friends were given little time to air their views.

In the mid-1960s, Enzo Ferrari’s fast Rosso-Corsa racing cars were dominating the motorsport world. Carroll Shelby, an American car designer, had retired after winning the demanding 1959 ’24 Hours of Le Mans’ race, but a proposition from Henry Ford II, presented an opportunity to beat the Italians at their own game. Ken Miles, a British sports car driver and racing engineer, reluctantly agreed to help improve the Americans’ image, the Ford GT40 Mk I, a powerful, high-performance racing car. Christian Bale is superb in his portrayal of Ken Miles. Excellent viewing.

There are always plenty of underdog stories connected to the Olympics. Dodgeball, of course, is not an event, but perhaps it should be. This is another family favourite as it has one of our all time best-loved actors, Vince Vaughn. In this hilarious comedy, White Goodman is the owner of Globo Gym, who would love to own Peter LaFleur’s Average Joe’s Gymnasium. LaFleur doesn’t want to lose his gym to Goodman but can’t find a way to get $50,000 in time. Peter and his gang of gym buddies settle on winning a dodge ball tournament and recruit legendary ADAA champ Patches O’Houlihan – Rip Torn at his best – to train them. Goodman retaliates by creating his own dodge ball team to finish off Peter. Yes, the comedy involved is childish, but this film will help relieve those trials and tribulations.