Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance by Simone Biles with Michelle Burford

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Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, A Life in Balance by Simone Biles with Michelle Burford

                Simone Biles. I first heard of this amazing young gymnast in 2014. I am a huge Olympics fan. I like the Winter Olympics but I absolutely love the Summer Olympics. And one of my favorite sports to watch is Artistic Gymnastics. I always try and keep track of our Olympic prospects in the years leading up to the final selection and Simone stood out to me when she won the Nationals in 2014. She was incredible! I was hooked. I followed her career from then on and was ecstatic watching her compete and win in 2016 in Brazil. But I didn't know her story. As time passed and she was featured more in magazines and online articles I began to learn more about this stunning young woman. Needless to say I was eager to get my hands on this autobiography.
                Written with the assistance of Michelle Burford, Simone begins her story with a setback and what inspired her to train harder. She then begins telling her tale from the beginning with a mother who couldn't stay clean, living in foster care and eventually being adopted by her grandparents, who we all know and acknowledge as her mother and father. She then describes the daycare trip to a gym that would change her life and the painful decisions she would have to make to pursue her career as an elite gymnast. Told with grace and honesty, Simone told her story admitting the days that were filled with doubt and fear, other days where she couldn't believe her own success. It's a coming of age story filled with the commitment and the desire to be the best gymnast in the world.
                Needless to say Simone Biles is the best gymnast and one of the best athletes in the world. She is changing the game as we know it. I enjoyed this book. It's a quick and easy read filled with emotion. I wanted to learn more about Simone and I feel like I have. It's an inspiring story but it's also difficult. Too make so many life altering decisions at such a young age and to see the fruits of those decision rewarded! I doubt I'll ever meet Simone but I'm glad I was part of her experience even if I was just screaming while she was doing the tumbling or rooting for her loudly on my social media trying to spread the word about her. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

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