Fierce: The Aly Raisman Story
This week I found myself sorting through a stack of books that I've had for a while but haven't gotten around to reading yet. It's been a little while since I had read something non-fiction so I picked up an auto-biography from my shelf. Auto-biographies are always fascinating to me because it allows us step into another person's shoes for a while and learn about their story and their perspective. This one specifically was recommended to me by an author friend!
I just finished reading Aly Raisman's Fierce: How Competing For Myself Changed Everything. Aly Raisman is now one of the most decorated US Olympic gymnasts, first American gymnast to win a gold medal in the floor exercise, and finalist on Dancing with the Stars. While it's interesting to read all about her achievements and these amazing accomplishments, what readers really want to know is how she got to that point?
How do you go from being a normal child, like everyone else, to a top athlete? What it really boils down to for Aly is hard-work. She demonstrates over and over again through anecdotes and stories from her experience that shows that she wasn't born with a natural ability to do gymnastics and many times, she felt like her peers were always one step ahead of her. But in the end, it was her hard work and perseverance that paid off.
Many people wonder if there really is something that makes top athletes into who they are and their abilities. If you're interested in learning more about this, check out this BBC Video: Is innate talent a myth?
One of the things I also loved about Aly telling her story is sharing advice and her personal experience to help other people. She talks briefly about her experiences with sexual assault and Larry Nassar and encourages those who may have had similar experiences to speak out. She also talks about her struggle with nutrition and how important it is to find a healthy balanced diet that works for you based on your needs. She discusses her difficulties in finding balance between training, recovery, and a fun/home life.
My only criticism would be that throughout the book she recounts many competitions and events and after a while they do start to run all together. Of course her performance at so many of these contributed to her success and where she ended up. But after reading so many of the same things over and over, it feels redundant!
Overall, it was a great book though that gives insight into the determination and practice that goes into becoming an elite athlete. I would recommend this for lovers of auto-biography, young adult readers looking for a role model, and gymnastics fans (especially if we might be missing out on the Olympics this year!)
How do you go from being a normal child, like everyone else, to a top athlete? What it really boils down to for Aly is hard-work. She demonstrates over and over again through anecdotes and stories from her experience that shows that she wasn't born with a natural ability to do gymnastics and many times, she felt like her peers were always one step ahead of her. But in the end, it was her hard work and perseverance that paid off.
Many people wonder if there really is something that makes top athletes into who they are and their abilities. If you're interested in learning more about this, check out this BBC Video: Is innate talent a myth?
One of the things I also loved about Aly telling her story is sharing advice and her personal experience to help other people. She talks briefly about her experiences with sexual assault and Larry Nassar and encourages those who may have had similar experiences to speak out. She also talks about her struggle with nutrition and how important it is to find a healthy balanced diet that works for you based on your needs. She discusses her difficulties in finding balance between training, recovery, and a fun/home life.
My only criticism would be that throughout the book she recounts many competitions and events and after a while they do start to run all together. Of course her performance at so many of these contributed to her success and where she ended up. But after reading so many of the same things over and over, it feels redundant!
Overall, it was a great book though that gives insight into the determination and practice that goes into becoming an elite athlete. I would recommend this for lovers of auto-biography, young adult readers looking for a role model, and gymnastics fans (especially if we might be missing out on the Olympics this year!)
Comments