Already missing the Olympics? Us too! This collection of inspiring histories, moving personal stories, and engrossing documentaries from elite athletes, coaches, and more will help stave off the post-Olympic blues until the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Games in Milan Cortina.
by Bob Bowman with Charles Butler
Bob Bowman, best known for coaching 28-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps and more recently, French swimmer Léon Marchand, is one of the most successful coaches in sports history. In The Golden Rules Bowman will teach you how to get gold out of every day by setting goals and getting motivated to achieve them. By following The Golden Rules, you will learn to visualize in order to achieve your goals, and that above all else, dedication to your training, your job, or whatever area it is you are seeking to triumph in is paramount for success.
by A'ja Wilson
Despite two gold medals, WNBA championships, and a list of accolades, A’ja Wilson knows how it feels to be swept under the rug—to not be heard, to not feel seen, to not be taken seriously. She shares her contribution to “The Talk,” and how to keep fighting, all while igniting strength, passion, and joy. Dear Black Girls is a necessary and meaningful exploration of what it means to be a Black woman in America today—and a rallying cry to lift up women and girls everywhere.
by Abby Wambach
Based on her inspiring, viral 2018 commencement speech to Barnard College’s graduates in New York City, New York Times bestselling author, two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA World Cup champion Abby Wambach delivers her empowering rally cry for women to unleash their individual power, unite with their pack, and emerge victorious together. She insists that women must let go of old rules of leadership that neither include or serve them. She’s created a new set of Wolfpack rules to help women unleash their individual power, unite with their Wolfpack, and change the landscape of their lives and world: from the family room to the board room to the White House.
by Kobe Bryant
The Mamba Mentality is Kobe Bryant’s personal perspective of his life and career on the basketball court and his exceptional, insightful style of playing the game—a fitting legacy from the late Los Angeles Laker superstar. Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever.
Simone Biles, the gymnastics superstar, withdrew from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to mental health concerns; after a hiatus, she embarked on a journey to rebuild her skills and mental fortitude, preparing for her triumphant return. Follow as she balances her personal life, mental health journey and training ahead of a highly anticipated return to the Paris Olympics.
by Mark Tuitert
For twenty years, Mark Tuitert has used the principles of Stoic philosophy to become a gold-medal winning Olympic champion athlete, successful entrepreneur, as well as to deal with the challenges in his professional and private life. Now, in the internationally-bestselling book The Stoic Mindset, Mark lays out the ten practical lessons through which everyone, in any situation, can develop a Stoic mindset. Applying the teachings of Stoic masters including Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus to the twenty-first century, Tuitert empowers readers to discover how Stoicism can change their lives and help them reach their full potential.
by Katie Ledecky
Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her—what makes her a champion? Now, for the first time, she shares what it takes to compete at an elite level. Just Add Water charts Ledecky’s life in swimming. It details how she developed a champion’s mindset that has allowed her to persevere through so many meets, even under intense pressure; and how she has maintained her dominance in a sport where success depends on milliseconds. In the end, Katie’s story is about testing yourself against the difficult, and seeing who you become on the other side.
by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
What fears are standing in your way or holding you back? How do you want to become stronger? Two-time Olympic 400m hurdles gold medalist and World champion hurdler Sydney McLaughlin wants to help you answer these questions as she shares her personal story of struggles and victories, of faith and transformation. Experience the story of a woman who shifted from anxiety to boldness, from limits to freedom, and from perfectionism to purpose—and now shows the world that often what we think is impossible is possible with God.
by David Maraniss
Jim Thorpe rose to world fame as a mythic talent who excelled at every sport. He won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, was an All-American football player at the Carlisle Indian School, the star of the first class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and played major league baseball for John McGraw’s New York Giants. Even in a golden age of sports celebrities, he was one of a kind. Despite his colossal skills, Thorpe’s life was a struggle against the odds. But for all his travails, Thorpe did not succumb. The man survived, complications and all, and so did the myth.
by Yusra Mardini
When young Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini realized her boat’s engine shut down as she was traveling from Syria to Greece with other refugees, there was no hesitation: she dove into the water. This bold act of bravery saved the lives of a boatload of refugees. After her arrival in Greece, Mardini, focused and undeterred, worked toward a lifelong goal: to compete in the Olympics. She succeeded, and competed in 2016 on the Refugee Olympic Team in Rio de Janeiro. Butterfly tells her story, from Syria to the Olympics to her current work with the UN as a Goodwill Ambassador. Mardini is eager to tell her story in the hopes that readers will remember that refugees are ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, chased from their homes by a devastating war. In today’s political climate, this story is guaranteed to inspire and educate readers from every background.
by Alexi Pappas
In Bravey, Alexi Pappas—Olympic athlete, actress, filmmaker, and writer— fearlessly and honestly shares her battle with post-Olympic depression and describes how she emerged on the other side as a thriving and self-actualized woman. Unflinching, exuberant, and always entertaining, Bravey showcases Pappas’s signature, charming voice as she reflects upon the touchstone moments in her life and the lessons that have powered her career as both an athlete and an artist—foremost among them, how to be brave. Pappas’s experiences reveal how we can all overcome hardship, befriend pain, celebrate victory, relish the loyalty found in teammates, and claim joy. In short: how every one of us can become a bravey.
Follow athletes from all around the world, including 2024’s Olympic 100m gold medalist Noah Lyles and 100m silver medalist Sha’Carri Richardson, and dive inside the minds of those top runners who practice to become the world’s fastest person. It provides an insider’s perspective on the high stakes and mental toughness of sprinters.
