Women Sport Memoir

It was a beautiful fall day in Connecticut when Colleen Kelly Alexander, a lifelong athlete, rode her bike home from work. She had survived both a diagnosis of lupus and brain surgery, had a fulfilling career, and was married at last to the love of her life. Everything was good as she coasted along, meeting the eyes of a truck driver as he approached the stop sign beside her. He didn't stop. The truck hit Colleen, running over her lower body with front and back tires and dragging her across the pavement.

In Serena Williams: The Inspiring Story of One of Tennis' Greatest Legends, you will learn the inspirational story of one of tennis' premier legends, Serena Williams. Williams is arguably the greatest women's tennis player of all-time. At the time of this writing, she holds the most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era with 23. Fans from across the world adore Williams and with good reason: she serves as an exemplary role model for how to behave on and off the tennis court. She is not only elite in skill, but also in her sportsmanship. In this unauthorized biography, we'll explore Williams' journey to becoming one of the greatest, and learn what it has taken her to reach where she is today.

Jools Walker rediscovered cycling aged 28 after a decade-long absence from the saddle. When she started blogging about her cycle adventures under the alias Lady Vélo, a whole world was opened up to her. But it's hard to find space in an industry not traditionally open to women - especially women of colour. Shortly after getting back on two wheels, Jools was diagnosed with depression and then, in her early 30s, hit by a mini-stroke. Yet, through all of these punctures, one constant remained: Jools' love of cycling.

These days, swimming may seem like the most egalitarian of pastimes, open to anyone with a swimsuit - but this wasn't always the case. In the 19th century, swimming was exclusively the domain of men, and access to pools was a luxury limited by class. Women were (barely) allowed to swim in the sea, as long as no men were around, but even into the 20th century they could be arrested and fined if they dared dive into a lake. It wasn't until the 1930s that women were finally granted equal access.

Mary Sanders was handed an Olympic dream by her father from the moment she was born. Determined to follow in his footsteps, the young gymnast struggled through training setbacks, financial hardships, and personal rivalries, under a cloud of grief, to compete in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. But that achievement was only the beginning for a woman determined to reinvent herself and consistently raise her own standards for success.

Blueprint is a candid account of the extraordinary life and athletic journey of one of America's greatest athletes and a champion in every way - the remarkable two-time Olympian Katie Hoff.

For swimming champion Nancy Stearns Bercaw, the pool was a natural habitat. But on land, she could never shake the feeling of being a fish out of water. Starting at age two, Nancy devoted her life to swimming, even qualifying for the 1988 Olympic Trials in the fifty-meter freestyle event. But nearly two decades later, when she hung up her cap and goggles, she was confronted with a different kind of challenge: learning who she was out of the lanes.

¿Quién es la jugadora con más Balones de Oro? ¿Sabías que en La Coruña hubo una chica que creó su propio equipo y que encima le puso su nombre? ¿A qué futbolista descubrieron en la playa? ¿Qué jugadoras han puesto de moda el pelo morado y las trenzas? ¿Qué estudian en la universidad las futbolistas? ¿Quiénes son Las Matildas? Todo eso y mucho más es lo que vas a descubrir en las páginas de este libro. Cada capítulo cuenta la historia de una jugadora o árbitra (porque ellas también están en el partido).

28명의 미국 여자축구 대표팀 선수들은 2019년 3월 8일 '여성의 날'을 맞아 남자 대표팀 선수들과 동일 임금을 보장하라며 미국축구협회를 상대로 소송을 제기했다. 그동안 만연했던 성차별에 항의하는 대표팀의 용기 있는 목소리에 관중들 역시 한 목소리로 오랜 시간 '동일 임금'을 외치며 화답한 것이다. 미국 여자축구 대표팀은 성차별과 인종 차별, 소수자 혐오 등의 문제에 목소리를 내어 맞서고, 직접 행동에 나서 경기장 안과 밖에서 성평등의 아이콘이 되고 있다. 지금의 대표팀의 행보를 만드는 데 크게 기여한 한 여성이 있다. 바로 애비 웜백이다. 애비 웜백은 미국의 전설적인 축구 선수이자 페미니스트 활동가다. 그는 선수 시절 필드에서 공격수로서 최고의 실력을 보여주었을 뿐만 아니라 성평등, 성 소수자 권리 등에 대해 꾸준하고 당당하게 목소리를 내왔다. 거침없이 필드를 누볐던 그는 은퇴 후 여성의 리더십 개발을 위한 재단 '울프팩 인디버(Wolfpack Endeavor)'를 설립하여 미국 전역에서 활발히 활동 중이다.

In the late '80s, our Rachel was having a boss time as a podium dancer at the Pleasuredrome, Birkenhead. Fast forward several years, and she's married, with the kids she's always dreamed of, but the body she's always dreaded. To make things worse, her husband, Trevor, begins to show his true controlling colours and Rachel blames herself, spiralling into depression. Until she discovers running.

Thirty-year-old Catriona Menzies-Pike defined herself in many ways: voracious reader, pub crawler, feminist, backpacker, and, since her parents' deaths a decade earlier, orphan. "Runner" was nowhere near the list. Yet when she began training for a half marathon on a whim, she found herself an instant convert. Soon she realized that running, "a pace suited to the precarious labor of memory", was helping her to grieve the loss of her parents in ways that she had been, for 10 messy years, running away from.

It’s hard enough coming out, but playing basketball for a nationally ranked school and trying to figure out your sexual identity in the closeted and paranoid world of big-time college sports - that’s a challenge. Kate Fagan’s love for basketball and for her religious teammates at the University of Colorado was tested by the gut-wrenching realization that she could no longer ignore the feelings of otherness inside her. In trying to blend in, Kate had created a hilariously incongruous world for herself in Boulder.

As Ellie’s 50th birthday approaches and her ambitions of a steady income, a successful career and an ascent of Everest seem as far away as ever, she begins to doubt she’s capable of achieving anything at all. So when her best friend Mick suggests a gruelling cycle ride from Land’s End to John o’Groats, she takes up the challenge. They opt for the scenic route which takes them along cycle paths, towpaths and the back roads and byways of Britain, unable to resist sampling beers in the pubs they pass along the way.

At the height of the Great Depression, Sam Babb, the charismatic basketball coach of tiny Oklahoma Presbyterian College, began dreaming. Like so many others, he wanted a reason to have hope. Traveling from farm to farm, he recruited talented, hardworking young women and offered them a chance at a better life: a free college education if they would come play for his basketball team, the Cardinals. Despite their fears of leaving home and the sacrifices faced by their families, the women followed Babb and his dream.

Caitlin Clark, a standout player in women's college basketball, has risen to prominence with her impressive skills, breaking records, and drawing widespread attention. However, her meteoric rise has been subject to controversy. This book explores why Caitlin Clark has become such a contentious figure, why mainstream audiences love her, and why she faces criticism from minority communities.

Are sports good for kids? Does participation in athletics improve a persons life? Yes, says Betsy Mitchell 2x Olympian, 7x NCAA champion, and collegiate athletic director. But according to Mitchell, amateur sports are only beneficial when the focus remains on acquiring skills, developing sportsmanship, and having fun. In this inspirational memoir, Betsy writes a love letter to amateur athletes, revealing how the joy and challenges of sports shaped her life and sharing twelve pivotal lessons she learned along the way.

"The Road Taken" is a coming-of-age memoir in which a woman discovers her independence on the wheels of a motorcycle traveling the world and competing in the Peking to Paris Car Rally. She also draws upon her training as an artist to create an Australian homestead for herself in Sonoma, California.

In the 80s and 90s, surf culture was toxic, especially towards women. But Pauline Menczer - a dirt-poor, chronically ill, freckle-faced teen from Bondi - defied insults and intimidation to ride the waves. The reason: she simply loved to surf. But when Pauline's determination propelled her onto the pro circuit, her battle for acceptance and equality didn't end there. The endemic sexism of the industry meant prize money for women was a pittance, while sponsors ignored her because she was a lesbian and didn't have the beach babe look.

Andrea Petković ist einem breiten Publikum nicht nur als Weltklasse-Tennisspielerin bekannt, mit ihrem Debüt "Zwischen Ruhm und Ehre liegt die Nacht" hat sie sich auch als neue Stimme in der Literaturszene etabliert. In ihrem aktuellen Buch verarbeitet sie den großen Bruch in ihrem Leben: den Ausstieg aus dem Profisport. Und geht dabei existenziellen Fragen auf den Grund, die sich uns allen angesichts großer Veränderungen im Leben stellen.

"Work hard, and don't look for excuses", C. Vivian Stringer's parents told her, "and you can achieve anything." But her faith and perseverance would be tested many times. A gifted athlete, she had to fight for a place on an all-White cheerleading squad in the 60s. In 1981, just as her coaching career was taking off, her 14-month-old daughter, Nina, was stricken with spinal meningitis. Yet Stringer brought a small, poor, historically Black college to the national championships.