Tuesday, October 26, 2010

As Good As Gold - Kathryn Bertine



Title: As Good As Gold
Author: Kathryn Bertine
Publisher: ESPN Books
ISBN: 9781933060538
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 295

Quick Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

Why I Read It: Someone doing endurance sports – what’s not to love?

Where I Obtained the Book: I saw this on the new section at my local library.

Synopsis: At the age of thirty, elite triathlete Kathryn Bertine had no job, no home of her own, no direction, a canceled wedding, and just over $200 in her checking account. Just as she was about to renounce her athletic dreams, the phone rang. ESPN The Magazine made her an offer she couldn't refuse: Bertine would have two years to make the 2008 Summer Olympic Games by any means necessary as long as she survived to tell the tale.

Review: Have you ever watched the Olympics, or any top level sporting event for that matter, and thought to yourself “I could totally do that.” The Editors at ESPN wondered the same thing and went to find a test subject. What makes this whole experience more humbling is Kathryn Bertine was no couch potato, she was a formidable athlete in her own right. National class ice skater in her youth, college rower in her early twenties, and an elite triathlete as an adult. Could she do it in 2 years?

What follows is her journey’s though a variety of Olympic Sports, both known and obscure, in an effort to make the team. She even gives a try at the luge, and while loving it manages to score a zero on the physical assessment test. This is a great look at what it takes to make the Olympic team, and in a sense any dream we might hold in our heart. Commitment, sacrifice, and handwork; they are all required. How many of us are giving the bare minimum to get by in our passions, our families, and our jobs?

A must read for anyone reaching for the stars and wanting some motivation in their life.


Author Biography: In 2000, I received my master of fine arts degree in nonfiction writing from the University of Arizona. My first book, All the Sundays Yet to Come: a skater’s journey was published by Little, Brown in 2003. My next book, As Good as Gold, will be published by ESPN Books in June 2009. Between books (and nearly every part time job known to mankind), my essays and articles have appeared in ESPN: The Magazine, ESPN.com, Details, Examiner.com, Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, and UsWeekly.

Other Reviews:
Cycle & Style Magazine
Pez Cycling News

FYI:
Read the series of articles that inspired the book at ESPN online.

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