Find the perfect story to inspire and motivate your young athletes in and out of the pool! I have compiled all of our quarantine book reviews in one place plus a few new books and new releases that even we haven't read yet!
1. Silver Linings by Elizabeth Beisel
I have always been a fan of Elizabeth Beisel because we swam the same events. After reading this book I’m an even bigger fan because I learned that she also likes Harry Potter and we have the same favorite sub from Jimmy Johns (the #12 beach club btw). For those who don’t know, Coach Laurie is a HUGE survivor fan and Elizabeth competed on the show last season. When I saw that she was signing personalized copies of her book during quarantine I thought it would make a perfect Mother’s Day gift (plus then I could also read the book). Silver Lining chronicles the ups and downs of Elizabeth Beisel’s extensive swimming career. Her book takes you through being a fussy baby who would only calm down when her mom put her in the water, making her first national team at age 13, and through 3 Olympic Games. Her success in the pool did not come without failure and I believe her ability to learn from her mistakes is one of the things that pushed her to be not just one of the best swimmers in the world but also one of the best leaders. Her ability to express her feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anxiety was so relatable that it made me want to reach through the pages and give her a hug and let her know she is not alone. Elizabeth’s journey and how she carried herself through it truly embodies the Olympic Creed.
For a personalized signed copy, purchase from her website: https://www.elizabethbeisel.com/shop/p/-silver-lining
2. In the Water They Can’t See You Cry by Amanda Beard
Disclaimer: This book deals with mature topics including mental health, self-harm, drugs and alcohol, assault, and body image. We recommend that parents read this book first.
Anyone who watched the 1996 Atlanta games remembers the little 14 year old girl who walked on deck carrying her teddy bear and walked off with three Olympic medals. This was the first book about an Olympic swimmer that I ever read and it absolutely blew my mind. It opened my eyes to how much goes on behind the camera (or under the water) that we don’t see. I found it so comforting that someone else (and Olympian no less) had the same feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, and concerns about her body as I did. I found this book both heartbreaking and empowering. To read about all of the things that she went through and know all that she accomplished in the pool is astonishing to me. 11/10 recommend this one.
3. Beneath The Surface by Michael Phelps
The way Michael Phelps is portrayed in the media makes you think that he was born to swim with his amazing wing span, height, and swimming genes. What they don’t tell you is that he was scared to put his face in the water when he was learning to swim or that he was bullied for having big ears as a kid. His swimming genes include a sister who narrowly missed her Olympic dream following a back injury and eating disorder. For nearly eight years people said “he’s not as good as they say, he’s not as good as Ian Thorpe, who does he think he is?” However, his dedication to the sport and fierce competitive nature propelled him to test himself against the greatest swimmers in the world and the guy really hates to lose. One of my favorite parts of this book is the way he talks about his competitors. They aren’t rivals to him, he respects the best swimmers so much he views it as an honor and the ultimate test of how well he’s swimming to be able to go up against the best and win.
4. Women in Sports by Rachel Ignotofsky
Okay so no, this is not exclusively a swimming book. And yes, it is technically a children’s book. But I absolutely adore it. It’s pages are filled with kick a** women who have been breaking down barriers in sports from 1866 - today. It also happens to feature some familiar and not so familiar names from the world of swimming (*cough, cough* Katie Ledecky anyone?). I LOVE this book and thank these incredible women for breaking through stereotypes, red tape, and glass ceilings and showing us all that the only thing that can hold you back is YOU!
5. The Three Year Swim Club by Julie Checkoway
This is a terrific work of nonfiction pieced together from written record, first hand accounts and stories passed down to the children of the swimmers depicted. The story is interlaced with the history of the time, spanning from the late 1920’s to the late 1940’s. If you are a history buff and love swimming, this book will really grab you. I really enjoyed the personal perspectives on history and war and how they affected sports. This story follows a schoolteacher from the sugar cane camps on Maui and his impoverished students. Through a series of events he formed a swim club that trained in the sugar cane ditches. As successes came he realized that swimming could be a vehicle to help these kids escape poverty. This little known Coach devised much of the modern training methods we still use today. I was particularly excited when the professional relationship between Coach Soichi Sakamoto and Ohio State's Coach Mike Peppe evolved in the book. Having met Coach Peppe while I was a young swimmer and hearing tales of his coaching from his protégé and my Coach, John Bruce, I was enthralled to read more of his coaching brilliance and personality. The tie between the kids in Maui and Ohio State really sped the close of the book along, especially knowing that most of OSU’S men’s swimming hall of famers got their start at the 3 year swim club. ~ Coach Laurie
6. Golden Girl by Natalie Coughlin
I’m not even going to hide the fact that I’m a huge Natalie Coughlin fan. She was the first woman to break 1 minute in the 100 meter backstroke, her underwaters are insane, and she is overall an incredibly versatile swimmer. Her book was a little different, written more by a professional sports writer than her. The focus of the book is from 2000 - 2004 and her transition from high school swimming to college swimming and preparing for the 2004 Athen’s Olympics. There is a huge emphasis on Teri McKeever (Cal Berkeley’s women’s head coach) and her unconventional coaching style. As a swimmer, my main takeaway from this book was how important it is to love what you do and to find a team and a coach that supports you, listens to you, and fits your training style.
7. Chasing Water by Anthony Ervin
Disclaimer: This book contains mature content including mental health, drugs, and alcohol.
Being a little younger, I didn’t know much about Anthony Ervin, beyond his comeback at the Rio Olympics, before reading this book. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics Anthony Ervin was the first US Olympic swimmer of African American decent and he brought home two medals. He tied with Gary Hall Jr. for a gold medal in the 50 free and helped team USA to a silver in the 400 free relay. After that he retired from swimming and lead a bit of a reckless and wandering lifestyle. He even sold his Olympic gold medal on eBay for over $17,000 to help relief efforts after the 2004 Indian tsunami. He eventually found his way back to the pool by coaching. He made the 2012 Olympic team and placed 5th in the 50 free. Then at the 2016 Rio games he took home gold once again in the 50 free. It’s a truly empowering story surrounding mental health and an astonishing comeback.
8. Relentless Spirit by Missy Franklin