Venus and Serena Williams were led to believe their crime-plagued, gang-infested neighborhood was not a place where dreams could come true. It took a relentless determination, a burning desire to be the best, and a willingness to conquer racial barriers for them to emerge as tennis legends. Simone Biles was raised by a single mother with addiction issues, forcing her grandparents to intervene. But Simone soon discovered gymnastics, setting her on a path toward Olympic greatness. Carli Lloyd believed her youth soccer career was really starting to take off, only to be cut from her team. Instead of quitting the sport she loved, Carli rebuilt her confidence from the ground up, ultimately becoming one of the leaders on the World Cup Champion US Women's Soccer team.
The athletes featured in this book met earth-shaking challenges head on, and through hard work and perseverance, went on to conquer the sports world. This collection of mini biographies, complete with first-hand content drawn from interviews, is a source of inspiration and self-empowerment for kids and sports fans of all ages.
"The profiles span multiple eras (1960s great Wilma Rudolph, 2016 Olympian Simone Biles) and a variety of sports, from tennis to mixed martial arts. The pieces are substantial and include specific incidents; for example, Serena Williams's Indian Wells tournament experience in 2001, where she was booed by racist spectators. There is also a welcome focus on overcoming body image challenges; while certainly not unique to women, it is not often spotlighted as an obstacle to athletic success.... A varied and inspiring collection of sports biographies for middle school library collections." — Casey O'Leary, School Library Journal
Recommended Age | 9 - 13 |
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Author | Gregory Zuckerman, Elijah Zuckerman, Gabriel Zuckerman |
ISBN | 0399547487 |
Publication Date | Feb 20, 2018 |
Publisher | Philomel Books |
Series Name | Rising Above |
Language | English |