Hardback : £21.16
In this official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance against tremendous odds helped make her one of the top athletes and record-breaking gymnasts in the world-now with 25 world championship medals.
Simone Biles' entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a daycare field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, along with drive to succeed no matter the obstacle, are what brought her to the national spotlight during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and have catapulted her ever since-including becoming the first gymnast in competition to land a double-twisting somersault on beam and the first woman to land a triple double on floor.
But there is more to Simone than the medals-nineteen of them world championship gold. Through years of hard work and determination, she has relied on her faith and family to stay focused and positive, while having fun competing at the highest level and doing what she loves. Here, in her own words, Simone takes you through the events, challenges, and trials that carried her from an early childhood in foster care to a coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
Along the way, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story-one filled with the kinds of daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams.
Courage to Soar:
In this official autobiography from four-time Olympic gold-winning and record-setting American gymnast Simone Biles, Simone shares how her faith, family, passion, and perseverance against tremendous odds helped make her one of the top athletes and record-breaking gymnasts in the world-now with 25 world championship medals.
Simone Biles' entrance into the world of gymnastics may have started on a daycare field trip in her hometown of Spring, Texas, but her God-given talent, along with drive to succeed no matter the obstacle, are what brought her to the national spotlight during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and have catapulted her ever since-including becoming the first gymnast in competition to land a double-twisting somersault on beam and the first woman to land a triple double on floor.
But there is more to Simone than the medals-nineteen of them world championship gold. Through years of hard work and determination, she has relied on her faith and family to stay focused and positive, while having fun competing at the highest level and doing what she loves. Here, in her own words, Simone takes you through the events, challenges, and trials that carried her from an early childhood in foster care to a coveted spot on the U.S. Olympic team.
Along the way, Simone shares the details of her inspiring personal story-one filled with the kinds of daily acts of courage that led her, and can lead you, to even the most unlikely of dreams.
Courage to Soar:
New York Times bestselling author Simone Biles is a seven-time
Olympic gold medalist and a six-time World all-around gymnastics
champion. In 2015 at the World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland,
she became the only female gymnast to ever win three consecutive
all-around titles. She is also the most decorated American female
gymnast, with a total of thirty medals, twenty-three of them gold.
Simone, who was born in Ohio and later adopted by her grandparents
in Texas, began her training at age six. During a serendipitous day
care field trip to Bannon’s Gymnastix, a coach recognized Simone’s
natural talent and sent home a letter to her parents, requesting
that they enroll her in a class. Simone rose quickly through the
sport’s levels, and in 2011, she began her junior elite career at
the American Classics in Huntsville, Texas, where she placed third
all-around. Amid a few setbacks in the following two seasons,
Simone rebounded in 2013 to claim the first of her three all-around
World Championship titles. With her strong faith in God and her
triumph against the odds, Simone is inspiring millions to dream big
and follow their hearts.
Michelle Burford is a #1 New York Times bestselling collaborative
writer and a founding editor of O, The Oprah Magazine. She is
a Harvard-trained journalist whose work has taken her to more than
35 countries on six continents. A native of Phoenix, Michelle now
resides in New York City. Visit her online at
www.MichelleBurford.com
Nineteen-year-old Biles, Olympic gold medalist and the most
decorated U.S. gymnast of all time, takes readers along her journey
to the podium in this memoir. After spending her early childhood in
and out of foster care, Biles was adopted by her biological
grandparents. She began her gymnastics training at the age of six
after a field trip to Bannon’s Gymnastix, where the coaches quickly
discovered that she “had what it took to go all the way.” Biles
describes not only her gymnastics training and career but also her
personal life, including her grandmother’s death, the difficult
decisions she made in order to balance school and gymnastics, her
“bratty period” in her early teens, and her love for her car, with
its zebra-print interior. In recent years, Biles has won three
consecutive world championship titles followed by her team gold and
individual wins at the 2016 Olympics. Biles’s narration is
effervescent, showing her to be, as her brother says, “a goofy and
down-to-earth kid.” The tone is conversational and includes casual
phrases such as “if you can’t already tell” and “just kidding.” She
expresses appreciation for her family, friends, teammates, and
coaches and frequently credits God and her faith for her success.
One slight caveat: readers without background knowledge about
gymnastics may not find the terminology to be adequately explained.
VERDICT Essential for libraries serving tween and teen gymnastics
fans.–Magdalena Teske, Naperville Public Library, IL
*School Library Journal*
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
