A refreshing and thought-provoking look at athletes whose legacies have been reduced to one defining moment of defeat--those on the flip side of an epic triumph--and what their experiences can teach us about competition, life, and the human spirit. Every sports fan recalls with amazing accuracy a pivotal winning moment involving a favorite team or player--Henry Aaron hitting his 715th home run to pass Babe Ruth; Christian Laettner's famous buzzer...

In the 1990s, infamous dirt bike rider Larry Linkogle began a revolution. Fed up with the culture of motocross racing, he and his friend set out to create a new sport. The high-stakes, often death-defying world of freestyle motocross was born and took fans of extreme sports by storm. Though Linkogle rose to legendary status with his record-breaking stunts and rock-and-roll lifestyle, his inner demons and self-destructive behavior eventually led to...

"Emma Gatewood told her family she was going on a walk and left her small Ohio hometown with a change of clothes and less than two hundred dollars. The next anybody heard from her, this genteel, farm-reared, 67-year-old great-grandmother had walked 800 miles along the 2,050-mile Appalachian Trail. And in September 1955, having survived a rattlesnake strike, two hurricanes, and a run-in with gangsters from Harlem, she stood atop Maine's Mount Katahdin....

"A captivating book that brilliantly reveals an American sports legend long overlooked. Sally Jacobs tells the riveting story of Althea Gibson, my personal hero, who overcame daunting odds - on the tennis court and off - to stand at the world pinnacle of her sport and became an inspiration to many." - Billie Jean King In 1950, three years after Jackie Robinson first walked onto the diamond at Ebbets Field, the all-white, upper-crust US Lawn Tennis...

Showing how one decision can alter the course of a life, a journalist shares his personal journey of coming back up after hitting rock bottom by developing a passion for long-distance running.

"A timely and eye-opening look at women in sports journalism, this book provides valuable insight on the obstacles women have had to overcome in order to succeed within the "masculine" world of sports and the challenges they continue to face today. The stories of their struggles are at times infuriating, at times triumphant, but always compelling"--

"Linebackers are the leaders of a football team's defense. They lead by example when they lay enormous hits on opposing players. Learn about the toughest, hardest-hitting linebackers in NFL history. Then create your own list!"--

History will remember the rivalry of Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali as one for the ages. A trilogy of extraordinary fights that transcended the world of sports and crossed into a sociocultural drama that divided the country. Joe Frazier was a much more complex figure than just his rivalry with Ali would suggest. In this riveting and nuanced portrayal, acclaimed sportswriter Mark Kram, Jr. unlinks Frazier from Ali and for the first time gives a full-bodied...

"Records smashed ... incredible athletic feats ... Medals won ... The top 40 Olympic athletes of all time are here! In this fun, fact-packed book from the 40 Inspiring Icons series, learn how these athletic stars became the best in the world."--Amazon