Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything by Aly Raisman

Most of us only see Gymnastics every 4 years during the Olympics. The Olympic Games, the world's most prestigious sporting event is the pinnacle of sport and achievement. But what we don’t always see is the behind-the-scenes. How does one athlete get picked above the others to compete and why? After all, they don’t magically appear at the event. This is where Aly Raisman's biography "Fierce" fills in these much needed gaps and gives us her honest (and in a certain chapter her bravery) on her road to London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.

I've always had an interest in Gymnastics, the way they tumble on the floor, flip and turn all on a 4-inch wide beam, swing and release on the uneven bars, and rocket to heights on the vault. These feats always seemed like something for superheroes, and I wanted to know more and more about this seemingly impossible sport.

What is most appealing about Aly is that she is not a child prodigy. She was not born with an innate ability to perform gymnastics spectacularly well. She was (and still is) good—great, even—but only because she was passionate about the sport and put in the work necessary to stand out. This book chronicles her tenacity and determination to make it to not one but two Olympic teams. She also is vocal about the abuse she suffered at the hands of now convicted USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

I appreciate such honesty, and in an autobiography that can be rare.  especially sports biographies.  There are platitudes about how much hard work is needed; rinse, wash, repeat. But Aly doesn't shy away from the gritty parts of being an elite gymnast.  She tells us about the times she was made fun of for being muscular, her mixed relationship with social media commentary, and her struggle with healthy living.  

Now I'm far to old (and out of shape) to be a gymnast on any level, but Aly's biography let me see something of myself in this Olympian.  If you love gymnastics, the Olympics, or sports biographies in general ,"Fierce" will satisfy all your cravings.


Recommended by Monica Shine
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