"A book that can help [you] find hope in achievement of any kind!" (Amazon Review)
INTRODUCTION (EXCERPT)
Additional Information
Maybe this is what it means to want something so badly you can taste it. That a desire is so strong that it takes on a distinct flavor. I used to think this was just an exaggerated expression. But once I began pursuing my best me through the sport of rowing, I understood it.
Let me assure you, I did not have anywhere near that level of determination when I started down my Olympic path. Quite the opposite. I was awkward and self-conscious. I had insecurities and fears. And even though others saw potential in me, I did not believe I was good enough to amount to much athletically beyond high school. Ultimately, on account of my self-imposed limits, I chose to walk away from sports altogether. Because I did, on the day I finally decided to take up the sport of rowing, I was, by national standards, unfit and overweight.
So no, this is not the story of the Olympic champion who picked up and specialized in her sport with her Olympic dream in mind from a young age. This is instead the story of the Olympic champion whose life first wandered in many directions. Not one of which was toward what allowed me to become my best. Until one day, a stranger reached out and presented an opportunity to try something new. What he presented was only an opportunity though. The decisions, actions, and effort from there were up to me.
My decision to embrace that opportunity by taking on something new, intimidating, and completely uncertain, that was my first step. It was a step I took because, even though I did not know where I could go, I knew I did not want to stay where I was. That step, one that seemed trivial at the time, turned out to be the first of many steps. Many patient, successive steps that grew into tiny confidences. Those small reassurances that showed gradual progress, and so encouraged me to discover new things every day. Perhaps most importantly, they were steps taken with friends, family, teammates, and coaches who challenged me throughout the process.
It was with every step I took, challenge I faced, and decision I made to not back down no matter the circumstances that my determination grew and eventually gave way to a dream. A dream that gradually transformed from idea into reality on the day my teammates and I raced for gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. An event so significant that they remain the most watched Games of all time…
Better Great Than Never Book Cover