Post by schlager7 on Oct 3, 2005 9:02:47 GMT -6
Running with Swords
The Adventures and Misadventures of an Irrepressible Canadian Fencing Champion
by: Sherraine MacKay
Available now!!!
Inspiring, reflective, and brimming with the author’s irrepressible joie de vivre, Running With Swords is the often hilarious story of one young woman's Olympic dreams – and the passion, tears, the happiness and madcap adventure that went along with chasing those dreams across the map of Europe and beyond.
Consistently listed among the top ten women fencers in the world and ranked as high as number two, this six-time World Cup fencing gold medallist revisits the incredible journey that took her from the small farming community of Brooks, Alberta where she was born, to Paris, France where she lived and trained for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
In Greece, following a personal upset that shocked the North American sports community, the author examines the aftermath of her own defeat against the joys of leading her Canadian team to a fourth place finish – the best finish ever by Canadian women in Olympic fencing.
The book is the remarkable story of young athletes from around the world, of the sacrifices made in pursuit of those dreams, of the friendships forged, and the joy of participation, whether on the track, in the field, on the ice, in the water, or on the piste.
For athletes, both young and not so young, Running With Swords is both a personal journal and a universal examination of the spirit that demands we strive to be the best we can be at whatever game we choose to play.
Reviews:
Running with Swords is not just another sports book. MacKay is able to see the irony and humour in a life pursuing athletic excellence. Whether staying in youth hostels to save money or using her broken Spanish to inadvertently threaten a bank teller, she brings the reader along on her journey of self-discovery. Her intelligence, insight and quirky way of viewing the world are surpassed only by her humour. Who knew the world of a world-class fencer could be so inspiring and so funny? I found myself laughing out loud.
~ Robin Brown, CBC Radio’s The Inside Track
Every athlete has spent her life challenging herself, wearing the maple leaf, and daring to represent this great country that we call home. Sherraine … has done all of that and she … tells us her story with humour, emotion, and most of all, truth.
~ Catriona Le May Doan, Olympic Gold Medallist and Canadian Athlete of the Year, 2002
Humorous, sharp, and lovable, Sherraine MacKay has given us a spectacular window into the hidden world of the Olympics, and the exhausting, slavish, dedication, and oftentimes, impoverished life of its athletes. I will never again watch any world sport without a sense of connectedness to the disciplined lives of those players.
~ Donna Morrissey, author of Sylvanus Now
I highly recommend Sherraine MacKay's book if you suffer from low self-esteem, lack of enthusiasm … if you feel depressed or if you simply want to enjoy a great trip with a vibrant companion. Possible side effects: elation and increased competitiveness.
~ Roch Carrier, Former National Librarian of Canada and author of The Hockey Sweater
For more information on how to buy a copy please contact:
www.sherrainemackay.com