Sports Biographies

Growing up and living such an eventful life. I always said to myself, "I'm gonna start a journal and eventually write a book." I wanted to share my stories and wonderful experiences with everyone. Someone on the planet would enjoy my stories. Someone may even learn from my wins or my losses. I never started that journal. Thank God for giving us the ability to remember.You know how people say, you're not alone, you always have God, and God is always by your side? It is true, it is fact! I have seen and lived it. You are not alone, don't give up. God is factually present in your heart. Do your own research. The closer you get to him, the more you'll feel the power of his presence in and around you. May God bless you!

"The way I looked at it was Paul had to be pretty damn awesome to do the stuff he did in the ring and remain undefeated for so long with all of his issues. The man had all kinds of things going on outside the ring that should have stood in his way, but he still kept winning. God had to be watching out for him." -Roy Jones Jr."Paul was one of the best. And without the drugs and alcohol, he would have been unstoppable." -Tom YankelloPittsburgh's Paul Spadafora defeated Israel Cardona to capture the International Boxing Federation (IBF) lightweight belt and the heart of a city that had not boasted a world champion prizefighter in over a half-century. Outside the ring, Paul's irrepressible dependency on drugs and alcohol marred his legacy and bore tragic consequences. Paul's narrative was one of brilliance, crippled by madness, a dichotomy of in-ring savant and out-of-ring calamity. Fighting Till the End is a candid examination of a flawed champion determined to conquer his demons and come out on top in the final round of his life.

The definitive biography of enigmatic golfer, commentator, and performer David Feherty-one of the most universally beloved figures in the game.John Feinstein, who has spent four decades finding intriguing sports characters and narratives and turning them into classic books, chronicles the life and career of David Feherty. The two have known each other for years, beginning with Feinstein's work on A Good Walk Spoiled, researched and written at a time when Feherty was an excellent player, who won five times in Europe and was on the '91 Ryder Cup team, but also a functioning alcoholic. In retirement from the game, Feherty has sobered up, while his golf world persona has only grown in stature. Feherty is now a grand ambassador for golf, a man who is feted by US Presidents and respected by every big name in the game.Feinstein tells hilarious true tales about Feherty's time in the limelight and interactions with stars such as Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Payne Stewart, and Seve Ballesteros. He also details Feherty's struggles with alcoholism, the death of his son who was lost to addiction, and the highs and lows of Feherty's marriages. Feinstein captures the human being behind the athlete, and his triumphant rebound as a golf commentator after his athletic career fell apart. Feherty is fall-down-funny, self-deprecating, and a lifelong underdog who has thrived as a commentator and television interview host, and most recently as a touring stand-up comic, using the difficult experiences of his life as a source for humour and understanding, which Feinstein mines with an expert's touch.

Perfect for fans of the New York Times bestsellers JUST TYRUS by Tyrus and TREJO by Danny Trejo, ALWAYS PUNCH BACK by MMA superstar Jorge Masvidal is a mix of memoir, political musings, and motivational principles, including the rags-to-riches story about his journey from street fighter to a star UFC warrior.

Uncharted trails. Unyielding spirit. A rookie hiker's journey on the Appalachian Trail-where each step is a lesson in goals, grit, and humor.For lovers of adventure, the allure of the great outdoors is irresistible. Whether it's the silent beauty of a sunlit forest or the thrill of conquering a rugged trail, the wilderness speaks to the soul. But what if you're an untrained dreamer, drawn to the trail with a heart full of aspiration but boots lacking miles?It's Just Walking: Just Pete on the Appalachian Trail unveils the mesmerizing tale of an ordinary individual, stepping out of his comfort zone to confront the Appalachian's grandeur. This isn't about an expert mountaineer. Instead, it chronicles a rookie's adventures, where every rock, river, and rut holds a lesson-and frequently, a dose of humor.Experience the euphoria of witnessing the world from a mountaintop, the camaraderie forged with fellow hikers, the mental battles fought with each challenging mile, and the comedic misadventures that inevitably befall a newbie. While this may not be a "how-to" guide, it's undoubtedly a "why-to" revelation, shedding light on the transformative power of setting a goal, pursuing it with unwavering determination, and sharing that dream with others.This book is more than just an account of a hike; it's a testament to human spirit and resilience. It serves as a mirror, reflecting the challenges we face in our lives, and the determination and humor we need to overcome them.So, if you've ever felt the urge to challenge yourself, to step into the unknown, or simply to enjoy a tale of adventure sprinkled with laughter, It's Just Walking is your next must-read. Dive into a narrative that promises to inspire, entertain, and resonate with adventurers and dreamers alike. Embrace the call of the wild, and remember: every journey begins with a single step.

There Is No Wall is ultrarunner Allie Bailey's brutally honest account of alcoholism, depression and severe mental breakdowns which almost cost her her life. But it isn't a story about how running saved her, it's a story about how running can buy you the time you need to recover and lead you to achieve things you never thought possible.

From Trench Town to the top of the world -- one man's inspiring fight for meaning, dignity, and respect. Tiga's Tale chronicles the remarkable life of world champion boxer Barrington "Tiga" Francis, who survived crushing poverty and violence in Jamaica's notorious ghettos and the insidious racism of 1980s Montreal to emerge as one of Canada's most successful professional fighters.Tiga's Tale is told in the twelve rounds of Barrington's fight for the coveted British Commonwealth Title, coupled with twelve vignettes that tell his exceptional story of perseverance, faith, and ultimately, triumph, from Jamaican street urchin to quiet Canadian hero.

"Why are these grown men getting paid millions of dollars to play a child's game?"Inevitably, if you've been around the game of basketball long enough, you've heard some cynical adult ask this question. It seems fair; getting paid millions to play basketball every night in front of adoring fans does sound like one of the easiest gigs in the world. But there's a lot more to it than that.No one has an easy journey to reap the rewards waiting for them at the highest level of basketball. Only 3 percent of high school athletes earn scholarships to play in college, and only 0.03 percent turn pro. Of those 0.03 percent, there are only so many who have successful careers, make the millions players dream of, and don't go broke almost immediately after retiring. There's plenty of elite hoopers, but to make it to the highest level of basketball, you have to be the best in the world.One thing all the elite players have in common are insane work ethics (and sometimes some luck in genetics). Inside this book, you'll find stories of the relentless work and hours that these stars have put in when all the lights are shut off, no one's watching, and it's just them and the basketball. Because, when basketball is someone's only ticket out of a rough life, gang wars, drugs, and violence, you won't believe how good at the game they'll become.

For two days in late September 1988, Canada’s Ben Johnson was the most celebrated athlete on the planet.Winner of the 100-meter sprint at the Seoul Olympics in a world record 9.79 seconds, he’d just had time to say, “A gold medal—that’s something no one can take away from you,” before testing positive for a performance enhancing drug and giving back his medal.Later admitting to steroid use, Johnson has lived in ignominy ever since, but there’s much more to his incredible story. The sprint he won in Seoul has since been called “the dirtiest race in history,” with six of the eight competitors linked to doping infractions. The steroid for which Johnson tested positive was not the steroid he believed he was using. His drug screening was riddled with irregularities and crucial testing evidence was withheld by Olympic officials in Seoul, circumstances that credible experts now say denied Johnson his right to due process and should have prevented his disqualification.With unprecedented access to Johnson, sportswriter Mary Ormsby now tells his whole story for the first time: how a shy Jamaican kid descended from enslaved African plantation workers became a Canadian sprinting superstar; how a disgraced former athlete came to coach Diego Maradona and the son of a Libyan dictator while fighting tirelessly to determine exactly what happened to him on that fateful day in 1988.

Adrian Alston, commonly known as 'Noddy', was a key member of the semi-professional team that defied all the odds to become the first Australian team to reach the 1974 World Cup finals.Noddy: the Untold Story of Adrian Alston is a tell-all account by Philip Micallef of the flamboyant striker who lit up the local football scene after moving from England to Australia in the late 1960s.Alston looks back on a career that took him from the little ground of Woonona on the NSW south coast to the imperial Olympic Stadium in Berlin.Noddy's was a colourful and extraordinary career but when it came to an abrupt end after he suffered a serious injury, he was able to draw on the altruistic side of his temperament when he devoted his life after football to the special needs of intellectually disadvantaged people. It is a job that gives him as much satisfaction as when he used to bang in the goals for club and country. As a 1974 Socceroo, Adrian Alston is a true legend of the game and Philip Micallef's book will ensure that Noddy's exploits for Australia are not forgotten.

From the New York Times bestselling author of First Man comes a sweeping saga involving two extraordinary—and extraordinarily different—adventurers who have only one thing in common: the ambition to cross the Atlantic in a rowboat . . . alone.

**A USA TODAY bestseller** A riveting narrative of love and loss, grief and joy, as one woman embarks on a quest for a record on the Pacific Crest Trail.

A raw, uplifting story from one of the most important hidden figures in track and field history.When Pauline Davis first began to run, it wasn't with any thought of future Olympic glory. A product of the poor neighborhood of Bain Town in The Bahamas, she carried the family's buckets every day to fetch fresh waterrunning sideways, sprinting barefoot from bullies, to get the buckets of water home without spilling. But when a seasoned track coach saw Pauline sprinting, he saw the heart of a champion.In Running Sideways, Pauline Davis shares her inspiring story. Born and raised in the ghetto, Pauline fought through poverty, inequality, racism, and political machinations from her own country to beat the odds and become a two-time Olympic gold medalist, the first individual gold medalist in sprinting from the Caribbean, the first Black woman on the World Athletics council, and a central figure in the Russian anti-doping campaign. A casualty herself of the doping plague that hit track and fieldshe wouldn't be awarded her individual gold medal until Marion Jones was infamously stripped of her medals for dopingPauline dedicated her years on the World Athletics council to clean sport and fair play. Running Sideways is a book about determination, faith, focus, and an incredible will to succeed. It's about a trailblazer in women's sports, not just in The Bahamas, not just in track and field, but on the global stage.

Enigmatic international athlete David Sharpe tells the gripping and often amusing story of his life on and off the track. Born into humble beginnings in Jarrow, David became World Junior and European Indoor champion and World Cup winner at 800 metres. He was known for his trademark late finishes but also for his erratic lifestyle.

The Unhappy Hero delves into the emotionally turbulent life of Lars Elstrup. Elstrup captivated Europe by scoring the pivotal goal for Denmark in the 1992 European Championship and became a hero at Luton, but struggled with paralysing anxiety and depression. The book shines a light on mental health and the pressures he faced.

A bad*ss story of the female, queer, bi, and nonbinary skaters who charted a path to the Olympics and changed the face of skateboarding.Who gets to tell the story of skateboarding? Drop In is the first book to recognize and historicize the female, queer, bi, and nonbinary humans who blazed the path that led to today's more equitable skate culture. It wasn't easy getting here.Like the rest of the world, skateboarding has long been patriarchal. In the 70s, it personified the punk rock, lock-up-your-daughters, middle-finger-to-the-man ethos. In the 80s, it was Miami Vice soundtracks and parachute pants, neon graphics and fingerless gloves. In the 90s it was New York City--graffiti, hip-hop, and skating in the street. Rarely did you see a woman's name in a skate video--either on a deck or behind the lens.The four skateboarders at the heart of Drop In defied expectations of gender, talent, physical ability, and mental capacity to fight the status quo: Alana as the first openly nonbinary athlete in Olympic history; Vanessa as a trailblazing runaway, dominating contests while drinking to excess; Marbie as an accidental boundary-breaking trans icon; and Victoria as the skate rookie turned social media sensation. Drop In spotlights their paths from rebellious outsiders to recognized pioneers on the historic stage of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where skateboarding made its historic debut. Their experiences reveal a side of skateboarding that's never been recorded, amplifying voices that have, for too long, gone unheard.

Sweeper Keeper is the compelling story of legendary goalkeeper Tommy Lawrence, one of the heroes of Bill Shankly's Liverpool, who has been called the first 'sweeper keeper'. From riches on the pitch to rags on the streets, Tommy's life story is told by those who knew him best - family, friends and former team-mates.

'Victory is a life well lived or a day enjoyed.'In this inspiring memoir, Frank recounts his life and experiences as an elite runner, as well as his fourteen-year battle with Parkinson's Disease. He is well aware that Parkinson's will ultimately win, but he is determined to not get ahead of himself, as after all tomorrow is another day.

Nile Wilson has always been one of life's winners; a charismatic young man with an Olympic bronze medal in the Horizontal Bar at just 21 years old. But after a serious neck injury, forcing him to retire early and miss taking part in the Tokyo Olympics, Nile's world fell apart.Swamped with depression, anxiety and addictive behaviours, his mental health went over a cliff. Over the past few years, Nile has had to face down his demons and accept his new reality, and this is the book he wish he'd been given before it all began.Based on 15 hard-won lessons, Nile will guide you through the tools that have helped him come to back from the brink and find, for the first time, a sense of inner calm and renewed purpose. From recognizing destructive patterns, redefining success and managing self-talk, The Lessons will inspire and guide you through the ups and downs of life, and help you to build resilience and self-belief, no matter what.

The autobiography of Alan Dicks

From Red to Read tells the story of Dr Alan Tonge, who holds the unique distinction of being Sir Alex Ferguson's first signing at Manchester United and played in the Football League for Exeter City. After a serious back injury ended his football career at age 22, Alan rebuilt his life through education and acquired a PhD.

DISCOVER THE UNTOLD SECRETS BEHIND THE BILLION-DOLLAR SPORTS INDUSTRY AND THE TACTICS EMPLOYED BY PROFESSIONAL TEAMS TO SECURE PUBLIC SUBSIDIES. IN THIS CAPTIVATING ACCOUNT, KEN SILLIMAN DRAWS FROM 25 YEARS OF FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE NEGOTIATING SPORTS FACILITY LEASES FOR RENOWNED TEAMS LIKE THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS, CAVALIERS, AND BROWNS. FROM STADIUM SUITES TO THE NFL EXECUTIVE OFFICES. THIS PRACTICE-ORIENTED BOOK OFFERS A GROUND-LEVEL PERSPECTIVE ON HOW SPORTS TEAMS NAVIGATE THE PUBLIC SECTOR TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. WITH INSIGHTFUL ANECDOTES AND REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES, THIS INVALUABLE RESOURCE SERVES AS A GUIDE FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS ALIKE. ENSURING A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR SPORTS FACILITY ISSUES.

Tony Caramanico has lived many lives. A competitive surfer, TV producer, surf shop owner, astute traveler, apprentice and artist, few have experienced more phases of surfing¿s development than Tony. Unlike more established sports, surfing¿s pop cultural adoption began largely in the 50s and 60s. While unfortunately a dying breed, those whöve played a key role in its development are still around to impart their wisdom. Steeped in experience, their stories of a time before surfing¿s commercialization told with an off the cuff ¿you should have been there¿ attitude are relatable to all in search of freedom from today¿s hyper regimented world. With memories rooted in empty white sand beaches, hard yard travel and the endless pursuit of new sensation, surfing¿s OGs constantly inspire ideas of an untethered existence. This book will be predominantly composed of Tony¿s art as these pieces are literal representations of his surfing life. These legible journals will provide a unique window into what the day to day of a traveling surfer in the 70s 80s and 90s was like. The book chronicles Tony¿s surfing youth, features art pieces highlighting marquee works from his thousands of entries. The book contains Tony¿s journals along with photos of his highly lauded 100+ piece surfboard collection. An important aspect of this book will be Tony speaking to his time apprenticing for Peter Beard, his experience living on Peter¿s compound and the direct ties between Peter and Tony¿s art.

The rags-to-riches biography of English footballer Bill Gates, who played for Middlesbrough in the 1960s and 1970s before becoming a multi-millionaire. He then suffered from dementia probably caused by heading the ball. All royalties go to Head Safe Football, a charity set up by Judith Gates to campaign for safer football.

Slide Tackles and Boardroom Battles isn't simply a football book. It's a memoir that will raise awareness of the trials and tribulations footballers face, while also giving a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on the business side of the game.