Fierce: how competing for myself changed everything, by Aly Raisman

 

Aly Raisman is a retired Olympic gymnast who starred and medaled in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. She is also one of the young gymnasts who was abused by Olympic team doctor Larry Nasser. In this highly engaging and well-written memoir, Ms. Raisman tells the story of her gymnastic career from when she started with a "Mommy and Me" class at the local gym through her 2012 Olympic wins and successful 2016 comeback. She does not make her encounters with Nasser a focus of the book, but she does touch on the impact they had on her and makes a strong case for girls recognizing when something makes them uncomfortable and letting others know about it. I've always enjoyed watching gymnastics during the Olympics but this book really explained how the competitions work so that I understand it all much better now. It has given me a greater appreciation for the work and effort that goes into creating and developing an elite athlete. It was also heartwarming to read about the strong support that Ms. Raisman received from her family, coaches, and others.