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  • What Made Maddy Run

  • The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen
  • Written by: Kate Fagan
  • Narrated by: Kate Fagan
  • Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (31 ratings)

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What Made Maddy Run cover art

What Made Maddy Run

Written by: Kate Fagan
Narrated by: Kate Fagan
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Publisher's Summary

The heartbreaking story of college athlete Madison Holleran, whose life and death by suicide reveal the struggle of young people suffering from mental illness today in this number one New York Times Sports and Fitness best seller. If you scrolled through the Instagram feed of 19-year-old Maddy Holleran, you would see a perfect life: a freshman at an Ivy League school, recruited for the track team, who was also beautiful, popular, and fiercely intelligent.

This was a girl who succeeded at everything she tried, and who was only getting started. But when Maddy began her long-awaited college career, her parents noticed something changed. Previously indefatigable Maddy became withdrawn, and her thoughts centered on how she could change her life. In spite of thousands of hours of practice and study, she contemplated transferring from the school that had once been her dream.

When Maddy's dad, Jim, dropped her off for the first day of spring semester, she held him a second longer than usual. That would be the last time Jim would see his daughter. What Made Maddy Run began as a piece that Kate Fagan, a columnist for espnW, wrote about Maddy's life. What started as a profile of a successful young athlete whose life ended in suicide became so much larger when Fagan started to hear from other college athletes also struggling with mental illness.

This is the story of Maddy Holleran's life, and her struggle with depression, which also reveals the mounting pressures young people - and college athletes in particular - face to be perfect, especially in an age of relentless connectivity and social media saturation.

©2017 Kate Fagan (P)2017 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"It is impossible not to be affected by Holleran's heart-wrenching story. An appropriate (if difficult) read for current and future college athletes, their coaches, and parents." (Library Journal)

"A compassionate and frank look at depression and the social pressure faced by many college students as seen through the eyes of one young woman." (Kirkus)

"Fagan's book is well-researched and the message is timely and important." (Publishers Weekly)

What listeners say about What Made Maddy Run

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Should be required reading for all youth programs!

All Athletic Directors should have everyone in their programs, from coaches to scouts to trainers, etc., read this book. It should be required reading for all who work with youth. It is so very insiteful (as in getting psychological help unconnected to the program), and has practical help (don't do this; do this). It is a quick read, and thank you to Maddy's family for the access to the example she gave, bless her heart.

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very well written

very well written story, and the narrator holds your interest until the end. This story can be triggering for some so be cautious when listening.

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Tragic story told by a compassionate autor

I really enjoyed the story and learned a lot through it. There are several different narratives in the book; Maddy, the author, other's the author knows. The switches between them and even along the timeline within one narrative was difficult to follow.

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