Athlete Biography

Harvard Square is at the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is the business district around Harvard University. It’s a place of history, culture, and some of the most momentous events of the nation. But it’s also a gathering place for some of the city’s homeless. What is life like for...

Simone Biles has been the face of women's gymnastics since she first entered the international stage. In addition to winning a record seven Olympic medals, 30 World Championship medals, and 19 world titles, she has become a superstar outside the gym for her public bravery. For being an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness and fair treatment for athletes, Biles earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.

Hoop Dreams Fulfilled is a detailed, first-person account of an athlete's failures and struggles on his way to playing professional basketball. Through in-depth experiences, Tyson Hartnett describes his journey playing basketball starting in fourth grade, through high school, college, and eventually professionally overseas. He profiles his mistakes and failures and his eventual redemption.

“...to be revisited again and again…” –The New York Times “...diverse collection of iconic figures…beautifully crafted volume…” –Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review “…exuberant…a launching point for more discoveries.” –School Library Journal, Starred Review “A luminous...

An inspirational, motivational book that chronicles Michael MacDonald's transformation from a scholarship player at Rutgers' high-level Division I basketball program to a highly successful executive at Xerox and then chairman and CEO of Medifast.

“The most comprehensive reference source on African-American athletes yet compiled.”—San Francisco Chronicle With a Foreword by Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe Available once again for a new generation of readers, the second volume in Arthur Ashe’s epic trilogy that chronicles the remarkable...

Heroes aren’t just the ones who bring home medals. Hero Redefined delves into the lesser-known stories of Olympic athletes—and a couple of special Olympic venues—that challenge the conventional narrative of glory and gold. In riveting personal profiles exploring herculean feats of strength, perseverance, and sportsmanship, award-winning sports journalist Doug Levy offers a new vision of heroism.

From the New York Times best-selling author of The Monopolists, the incredible story of Olympic sailor Kevin Hall and the psychiatric syndrome that makes him believe he stars in a television show of his life.

The story of an Olympic wrestler allegedly murdered by the wealthy heir to the Du Pont fortune, Blood Money takes listeners inside the bizarre world of a multi-millionaire, and lays bare the brutal shooting and tense police siege that riveted the nation.

Robert Griffin III exploded onto the NFL scene with a style and flair anything but typical. With a Heisman Trophy on his mantel, RG3 entered professional football in 2012 under a spotlight that glowed beyond his own team, the Washington Redskins. Could the Baylor graduate electrify the NFL as he...

“Tasty fare for readers inclined to hail the coming of soccer’s ‘Messi-ah.’” —Kirkus Reviews Channel the grit, resilience, and positivity of soccer icon Lionel Messi as you trace his journey to become one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Global superstar, FIFA Player of...

The amazing story of TV presenter Louise Minchin's journey from the BBC Breakfast sofa to representing Great Britain at the World Triathlon Championships. This is a warmly written and wonderfully honest adventure through sport that will both entertain and inspire. It started out as a fun BBC Breakfast cycling stunt in 2012 and culminated in Louise Minchin wearing the colours of Team GB at the World Triathlon Championship in 2015.

Irish-American Autobiography opens a new window on the shifting meanings of Irishness over the 20th century, by looking at a range of works that have never before been considered as a distinct body of literature, from celebrity memoirs from athletes like boxer John L. Sullivan and ballplayer Connie Mack - written when the Irish were eager to put their raffish origins behind them - to the painful diffidence of priest autobiographers.

A history of the activism and achievement of African American athletes from Jesse Owens to Serena Williams to Colin Kaepernick, who advanced the cause of social justice through their outspokenness, commitment, and integrity. Muhammad Ali refused to fight in a war he believed was immoral. Wilma Rudolph retired from track and field to campaign for civil rights. Taking a Knee, Taking a Stand tells their stories and the stories of other prominent African American male and female athletes who often risked their careers to fight racial discrimination and promote social justice.

Exclusive interviews with the top athletes in sports today. Trust the Grind: How World-Class Athletes Got to the Top reveals how these men and women reached the heights of their profession so that you can too. Each chapter tells a different story, as each superstar shares the habit that helped them accomplish their goals and reach the pinnacle of their profession.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has had incredible success playing at the highest levels of football. Andrew helped Stanford University win the Orange Bowl in 2010. He could have gone to the National Football League (NFL) after the season, but Andrew returned to Stanford to get his degree. He was chosen by the Colts with the first pick in the 2012 NFL draft. Andrew quickly made his new team a winner. Learn more about this young quarterback with a bright future.

Glory Through Pain is a riveting memoir of faith, perseverance, and the miraculous. One phone call altered Christy’s world forever—the call that delivered the news that her brother had been in a life-threatening head-on collision. Afraid and uncertain, she rushed to the hospital, where the next few weeks were filled with tension, prayer, and waiting. As Christy endured the agonizing hospital ordeal, she couldn't forget the miraculous moments from her past that had changed her life.

The 2018 Winter Olympics will be the stage for many compelling stories. Athletes like Ashley Wagner and Sven Kramer are windows into hidden social phenomena, from figure skating's eating disorders to the Dutch obsession with speed skating. Controversies like the Russian doping scandal, the NHL player ban, and the question of whether North Korea will compete or disrupt are creating human drama that affects thousands of athletes.

How does an Unlikely Triathlete continue to exercise during a global pandemic? All this whilst being the Head of Fundraising for an NHS charity? It seems impossible doesn't it? Yet, Deborah continues with her tenacity to keep going as an athlete in the virtual world.

The subject of the award-winning documentary The Eagle Huntress tells the true story of how she became the first girl to compete in—and win—one of Mongolia's most prestigious competitions. In this compelling memoir, teenaged eagle hunter Aisholpan Nurgaiv tells her own story for the first...