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Running Issues: Four Books To Read NowPublished by
Last-Minute Summer Reads By Elizabeth Carey for DyeStat Cross country, school and maple leaves may be signalling the onset of fall, but it’s still technically summer. Let’s savor its waning moments with mind-bending books. Here are four books for athletes (and coaches and fans) to read right now. Ghost by Jason Reynolds With power, talent and heart, this novel leads off acclaimed author Jason Reynolds’ four-book Track series. Ghost is technically written for younger folks (and was a National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature), but is worth a read regardless of your age. Join Castle Cranshaw aka Ghost, the main character, on his first foray into middle-school track and you’ll be hooked. He’s fast and nuanced and so is this expertly-crafted read. (https://www.jasonwritesbooks.com/books)
Tigerbelle: The Wyomia Tyus Story by Wyomia Tyus and Elizabeth Terzakis Quick: Who was the first person ever to win consecutive Olympic gold in the 100 meters? Wymoia Tyus! In all, the legendary sprinter won three golds and one silver medal. But the world-record-breaking sprinter didn’t get much attention from media or sponsors, even after those back-to-back wins in 1964 and 1968 — and even when she protested racial injustice the same year as John Carlos and Tommie Smith did, too. “It was also because I’m not only Black but a woman,” she wrote. “At the time they were not about to bathe a Black woman in glory. It would give us too much power, wouldn’t it?” This memoir tells her remarkable tale, one worth championing. (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781617756580)
Bravey by Alexi Pappas This acclaimed memoir from Olympian Alexi Pappas shines light on the athlete’s experience in running competitively — and much more. In digestible chapters that stand alone as essays, she deftly tackles childhood, mental health issues (including depression and suicide), puberty and, of course, chasing dreams. This renaissance runner — the Greek national record holder in the 10,000 meters who’s also a film director and actress — uses her creativity to make important points. Warning: contains fatphobia and graphic descriptions of mental health struggles and bodily harm. (https://www.alexipappas.com/)
Survive and Advance by Tianna Bartoletta Whatever you think you’re going to get when you pick up a three-time World Champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist’s memoir, this is not likely it. Rather than polishing a simple narrative, Tianna Bartoletta (nee Madison) shares painful experiences in a page-turner about her life on and off the track and field. She is, after all, not only known for her world-class performances as a long jumper and sprinter, but also her poetic blogs, bold tweets and yoga lessons. Content and trigger warnings abound; this book includes graphic descriptions of mental health issues, assault and abusive behavior, disordered eating/fatphobia and adult topics. (https://tiannabee.com/party) (https://www.amazon.com/Survive-Advance-Tianna-Bartoletta/dp/1735919314)
National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673, https://www.rainn.org/ National Eating Disorder Helpline: 1-800-931-2237, https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255, https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ If you are in danger of domestic violence please use a safe computer to visit https://nnedv.org/get-help/ or call a local hotline, or the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
### Elizabeth Carey (https://elizabethwcarey.com/) is a writer and running coach based in Seattle, Washington. Her first book, GIRLS RUNNING, co-authored with Melody Fairchild, is available at your local bookstore and here: https://shop.aer.io/GirlsRunning/p/Girls_Running_All_You_Need_to_Strive_Thrive_and_Run_Your_Best/9781948007184-9934. |
