Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1447 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
Reveals the hard edge of this skating star. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A STUNNING BOOK
As one of the critics says; this i s indeed a pageturner... However, there are numerous faults facts in this book. Among them includes that the film IT`S A PLEASURE was a Fox film. Wrong, it was produced by International and released by RKO. Several critical comments on her films are stolen from among others Leslie Halliwell, a notable filmcritic and the ONLY bible for moviebuffs until internet movie database came along. Stories of Sonja and Tyrone are also way over the top; the talk they had in the dressingroom - how did Leif Henie and Raymond Strait get hold of t h a t? Leif was still in Norway at the time. However. There are several items that distinguish this biography; the stories by Sonja`s secretary Dorothy Stevens in particular... It is true that in creating the ice-skating star Sonja Henie, her father created a monster. But in the long run Sonja suffered from it. She was never taught to be a normal person. And indeed: She gave Norway a place in the sun and donated with her third husband Niels Onstad the Henie-Onstad ArtGallery near Oslo. U should visit it if u came to Norway. All of Sonja`s medals and trophies are in a well-guarded room and photos etc from her films are displayed in a huge basement. It must never be forgotten that she gave our nation a great deal - indeed giving the community of Bærum a home for retired people. U WILL see this reading this book that she was a trouper - a woman who was taught to fight and be competetive. And everything she tried her hands on - became lucrative.

Hell on Ice
I know and have known quite a people who worked with Sonja or were as close a friend as she would permit and this book seems to confirm all thatI've heard over the last 40 years. I met Sonja in 1963 in Pittsburgh at theopening of the Pittsburgh Arena.Despite all her shortcomings as a person, there was something about her that fascinates me as a skater and as aperson.Anyone interested in skating should read this book.

Facinating book!
For those who loved to watch Sonja Heine, this book is a must, showing her amazing rise to fame, volatile temperment and unbelievable perserverance. You won't be able to put it down from start to finish. ... Read more

Product Description
The author describes her life and evolution into one of the world's most famous ice skaters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Very revealing!
This is a lengthier and more in-depth biography than that written by Peggy Fleming, another skating great.This is also dated and was published before many tumultuous events, professional and personal, in Miss Hamill's life.However, this is an excellent read and very revealing of the author's journey to her Olympic gold medal and world championship in the days when competitors' mothers still made their skating costumes.The book does give a glimpse into the rivalries and jealousies that admittedly plague this beautiful sport.One very terrifying experience recounted by Miss Hamill was brought to my mind years later when Nancy Kerrigan was clubbed in the knee by associates of rival figure skater Tonya Harding after completing a practice session for the Nationals (resulting in a field day for the media, both tabloid and mainstream), prior to her silver-medal finish in the Olympics.

One of the Best Biographys I have Read!
I am 11 years old I read this book for my book report. "On and Off the Ice" had plenty of funny stories about Dorthy Hammil's skating career. The only problem with this book is that it barely talks aboutDorthy Hammil's life "off the ice." In the end I got points takenoff on my book report because I only told about her life as a figureskater. Some of you will be interested in the fact she married Dean MartinJr. son of Dean Martin who she met through Desi Arnez Jr. (Little Rickyfrom I Love Lucy) Overall I loved this book and I think that most peoplewill like it. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 3144 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 820 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1600 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Interesting look behind the scenes in this sport
Nancy Kerrigan won hearts with her dignity and poise following her 1994 assault. It's a pity that her image has been tarnished by her sulkiness at the 1994 Games and her affair with her married agent. Ms. Kerrigan gives a frank account of her life and career and one can't help but wish her well. A fascinating story of the action in the fast-paced world of figure skating and the sacrifices made by skaters and their families.

Great skating book!
Nancy does a great job filling us in on her climb to success.this book is NOT gossipy--she does not diss the other skaters (not even Tanya Harding).After reading this book I have great respect for Nancy!

This is a wonderful book for figure skating fans!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a great book about Nancy Kerrigan. It is good for up-and-coming skaters!! It has dynamic photos of her along with a great descriptive text!!! However some of the wors are advanced and may not be suitable for children under 8. ... Read more

Product Description
The dazzling smile, the signature haircut, the staple spin. "America's Sweetheart" Dorothy Hamill grew up on the ice, working toward the dream she was to accomplish by age nineteen: winning Olympic gold in figure skating. But life was not the picture of perfection it appeared to be. Dorothy faced a painful inner struggle from the time she was a young girl that followed her into adulthood -- though she would not know about the depression that ran in her family until much later in life. Weeks and months away from home to train and compete took a difficult toll, yet little reprieve could be found in the tumultuous and fragile relationship she had with her parents.

Dorothy went on to marry the man of her dreams, only to have the partnership end in heartache and a tragedy that almost pushed her to her breaking point. Then, just when a light at the end of the tunnel finally began to appear, a second failed marriage tried and tested Dorothy's trust and strength yet again -- a travesty that could have led her to give up. But, she found a remarkable strength in what she did have -- her greatest love, her daughter Alexandra.

"Thank goodness, I had my skating. There was certainly a pattern to my life. When times were tough, I went skating. It was only while I was out on the ice, enjoying the freedom of movement and my love of music, that I was able to escape from my bottomless heartache."

In her deeply moving and honest memoir, Dorothy opens up for the first time about love, family, courage, and what it means to truly win both on and off the ice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Enjoyable reading
Dorothy has written her life story in a pleasing manner and I found it most enjoyable reading. I took it one or two chapters a day and think that made it easier to realize what skaters endure. The parents should be
commended for all they contribute to their children in the years of skating efforts. Sorry Dorothy had so many roadblocks in her marriages but happy she has a lovely daughter to treasure. Thank you Dorothy for
writing this book. May you have many happy years ahead.

Susan

Great Story but Emotionless Delivery
Hamill has an interesting life and story but you'd never know it from reading this book.Everything from her fairly meteoric rise in the skating world to her marriages, bankruptcy, physical and emotional issues . . . it's a tale that should be fascinating.However, as described in this book, it isn't and that's due to the way the story is told.

First, Hamill uses short, choppy sentences that make the book read like something intended for a second-grader -- I finished second at x event.I worked harder.To my surprise, I won the next event. Few complex sentences and even less dialogue.Second, the book reads like a narrative -- I did this and then this happened and then I did this and then that happened.Events that should pack a tremendous emotional punch (the sudden death of her first husband, the financial betrayal and infidelity of her second, etc.) just don't.Rather than letting the reader see how she feels through exposition, she simply tells us -- e.g., "I was depressed."

The best part of the book is probably the first chapter -- when she discusses her mother not being present for her Olympic victory.In that chapter, she takes a brief moment in time and expounds on it.In my view, the book would have been better and more enjoyable if she'd done that with other moments.Rather than simply running through her life, if she'd taken specific moments of importance and really focused on them.For example, she talks about the time when someone stole her skates.However, other than telling us the culprit was never found, we don't really understand what if any anguish this caused.Did she suspect someone?Did it throw off her performance?Was she devastated or did she shake it off?Did things like this happen to her at other times?Did it cause her to lose confidence in the "system?"This one moment could have been interesting but just became another way station on her life's journey and the reader is largely left to guess whether this was a major or minor event in her life.

Finally, I had the impression that she didn't want to "hurt" anyone by saying anything negative about them.In a sense, I applaud that.But great people can have bad moments or moments of weakness and, sometimes, relaying one of them and yet still emphasizing all the good, makes the person more human.She did that with her mother but not with the many others who passed along her way, such as coaches, competitors, etc.

Hamill should have so many unique insights into the skating world -- all the good and bad -- about rising to the top, judging, ice shows, etc.In my view, it all gets glossed over, leaving the reader feeling a bit empty and wishing for what the book could have been.

That said, if you like Hamill and want an update on her life, this is it.It's inspirational and a quick, interesting read.It simply could have been much better.

An Ordinary Person with Extroidinary Results!
I read this book because my sister is friends with her.I also read this book because my sister was a National Figure Skater as well and is currently in this business of manageing Figure Skaters.

I was pleasently suprised to learn so much about Dorothy Hammill and how ordinary she really was in regards to other skaters who trained just like her.I thought this would be too much of a chick book but was very impressed too learn how drive and dedication are applied to the skating world.Although my sister was competitive I never truly understood what she was going through day in day out.Dorothy was able to put into words what every young child experiences who is a competitive skater into a book.

A Worthy Read
Dorothy Hamill reaches beyond the ice and shares with us the hard truths as well as the uplifting joys of her life.Ice skating is woven throughout her story as an integral part of who she is, and I came away with a new respect for the character strength Hamill practiced throughout as well as for the openness with which she addresses her readers.Were I to become a parent, I would like for my children to one day slip this book off our familyroom bookshelf and benefit from the tasteful frankness with which Ms. Hamill tells her story.Well done, Ms. Hamill.

NOT EVEN AMERICA'S SWEETHEART COULD ESCAPE HEARTBREAK
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT A LITTLE MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO, THAT SKATING CUTEY DOROTHY HAMILL WOULD ENDURE ALL THIS PAIN IN HER LIFE? DOROTHY WAS AT THE PINACLE OF HER CAREER AS WON THE GOLD MEDAL AT THE 1976 OLYMPICS. FROM THERE HER LIFE WOULD TAKE A STEADY SPIRAL DOWN. FIRST SHE MARRIED HER FIRST HUSBAND DEAN PAUL MARTIN AND THAT ENDED IN DIVORCE. THEN ON THE REBOUND SHE MARRIED AGAIN TO A TOTAL LEECH NAMED KEN FORSYTHE WHO WOULD NOT WORK, SPEND HER MONEY AND CHEAT ON DOROTHY DURING HER PREGNANCY. ALL THIS DRAMA PLUS HER STRANGE RELATIONSHIP WITH HER PARENTS WHO BOTH STRUGGLED WITH DEPRESSION AND DRINKING. DOROTHY ALSO HAS THIS PROBLEM ALONG WITH A BIT OF ARTHRITIS AND A DECOMPRESSED VERTABRAE IN HER NECK. THAT ISN'T ALL EITHER, HER MOTHER SURVIVES BREAST CANCER AND HER FATHER DIES FROM CANCER. DOROTHY ALSO IS AFFLICTED WITH BREAST CANCER BUT THAT OCCURED AFTER THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN. I DID LIKE THIS BOOK AS DOROTHY DOES A NICE JOB DESCRIBING HER FEELINGS AND I REALLY FELT FOR HER. SOME OF THE BOOK IS BLAND AND BORING AT TIMES BUT ALL IN ALL I LIKED IT AND FIND THAT DOROTHY IS VERY HUMAN. I PRAISE HER RESILIENCE, HONESTY AND INNER STRENGTH TO GO ON AND LEAD A HAPPY LIFE. I RECOMMEND THIS AND HOPE DOROTHY THE BEST. ... Read more

Product Description
Photographs and text follow American figure skater Jill Trenary's final day of competition at the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, where she placed fourth out of thirty-one competitors from around the world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A GREAT look at what it's like to skate at the Olympics
I originally bought this book for my younger sister and although it was a bit advanced for her at the time (it would probably be best for a 9-12 year old) we read it together and both of us enjoyed it.Jill gives a first-hand look at what it's like to skate for the Winter Olympics's biggest prize -- a medal in ladies figure skating -- and the story is complemented well with photos of Jill before during and after the competition as well as other photos from the Calgary Olympics that also bring you into her story.

Jill was very much in contention for one of the medals and although she ended up finishing just off the podium she has an excellent attitude, and describes her certificate indicating her finish with as much pride as if it were a medal.I would highly suggest buying this book if you know a young skater whose dream it is to go to the Olympics, as the most important thing both my sister and I took away from this book was not that she almost won a medal, but that she was THERE, in the middle of the Battle of the Brians, the Duel of the Carmens, and that she really enjoyed the whole experience of trying to skate her best at the biggest competition in the world. ... Read more

Product Description
Hit a home run with these biographies! The sports heroes featured have gone through both setbacks and successes, pereservering because of their drive and determination. Make kids the #1 fans of reading with these books! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Awesome book~!
This book is really cool! I mean I really just picked out this book for my book report 'cause it was the only thing that seemed interesting. Though I did think it was going to be boring it wasn't! You can actually kind of feel what Michelle is feeling and the way the sentences were worded made it waay more interesting than a regular old biography! ;] Read this book, I recommend it if your interested in knowing more about Michelle Kwan~!

Great Read
This was the first biography I've read about Michelle Kwan. Though I'm not a figure skater, her confidence and determination have inspired me to succeed in gymnastics. It was a nice biography, with lots of pictures and nice information. I only have several complaints. First, it was a little too short in my opinion, since you mostly learn about the outlines of her life, not full details. For details I would suggest reading "Heart of A Champion", Michelle's autobiography. Second, it would have been nice if the book was longer, like I said it needs more details. Not realy for older readers, but great for anyone who wants to learn about Michelle Kwan

Michelle Kwan: Quest for Gold
I ordered this book for my daughter in 5th grade.She is a fan of Ms. Kwan's and needed to write a biography for school.Although it is a nice book, it really isn't what I thought.It is only 60 pages and mostly pictures, very little real content.If you just want a fan book this will work, but it really isn't a biography for grades 4 to 6 as represented.

quest for gold
This book is wonderful! It makes you connect with the ice just reading the words! I love this book! ... Read more

Product Description
The perfect holiday gift for skating fans in the run-up to Winter Olympics XX: A living legend of women's figure skating offers her thoughtful, spirited perspective on balancing life and work, femininity and athleticism

In the glamorous, ultra-competitive world of figure skating, Katarina Witt is a living legend. She has won more titles than anyone else before her-including two Olympic gold medals, four world championships, and eight national championships. She is also renowned for independence and self-possession in a world where many stars are in thrall to management companies, and for her ability to stay true to skating while developing new careers in business, movies and television.

Witt has always done whatever she's done with all her heart-with passion, intelligence, and a love of perfection. Now, in Only with Passion, she offers advice to a new generation of women athletes making their way in the world on how to live full out, compete with edge, and navigate life with grace. When a young skater consults her for advice on whether to train abroad-and leave a boyfriend behind-Witt finds occasion to recall the major turning points of her own journey, from her East German childhood to the international spotlight. She shares her inside perspective and frank opinions on the insular world of skating and offers her views about what it takes to be a champion, and to create a fulfilling life. Whether she's talking about life on or off the ice (or on the cover of Playboy!), Witt is always candid, fresh, and down-to-earth.

Written with E.M. Swift, author of My Sergei, one of the best-selling skating books of all time, Only with Passion is the perfect gift for young women, young athletes-particularly skaters-and skating fans of all ages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Good Guide for Parents
I read over this book in the waiting room of my Dentist's office. All in all I think this book is a good guide for parents of aspiring skaters. On a personal note one has to really ask if it is worth sacrificing a childhood for a medal?. These skaters have to train relentlessly for years.In the process they miss out so much of childhood which when lost can never be replaced.I have no children of my own but given what I saw during the whole Lillehammer Nancy Kerrigan / Tonya Harding scandal someone needs to watch over these young athletes so they do not lose contact with reality. I wish Ms. Witt had the courage to write more about her life in the former East German sports machine as it is especially relevant today when we read about athletes and doping scandals. I think Ms Witt like so many of the former Communist Bloc athletes were products of a system that treated them like racehorses to be bred and trained. Many had health problems in later life due to the strange performance enhancing drugs given them.Ms. Witt was hosting a TV show in Germany called "The OSTALGIE Show ". Ostalgie is term used by Germans as nostalgia for the good aspects of life under the old regime. I wonder if Ms. Witt has read "Faust's Gold: Inside the East German Doping Machine". The problem with nostalgia is no matter what the past is always better because one can be sentimental about the good and forget the evil.

She is the best!!
I am not a skater but I am a great fan of Katarina Witt since my childhood..I have grown up with watching her skating programmes and when I was a little girl I was wearing my rollerblades at home and I was Katarina Witt:)collecting all the flowers -that my mum,grandfather,and other family members that I made them throw me flowers:))-but due to the lack of skating arenas I have never been able to start to skate seriously although I was very talented and willing but I always admired Katarina Witt.This book is really good for me to observe the mentality of the East German approach for sport and emposing being ambitious and tough to their sporters.I have read some comments regarding this book before ,some people say this book will not be a good example for young skaters in mean of nutrition but I want to say that in these years we were not as conscious as today regarding nutrition.Remember we were still watching the Cigarette Advertisements on TV.So the nutrition mentality has changed a lot in all over the world and Katarina just told her working conditions frankly .She did not give this as an example to be copied of..Besides today's teenagers and their trainers are so conscious that they will only take the parts that will be helpful to them from this book they are aware of what's good or what's bad..
On this book I reccomend to the readers that when you read for example Olympics part from the book ,it will be more fun to read the Olympic parts and after to watch Katarina's that show on youtube ..
Thanks a lot to AMAZON for providing this book !!
NIL

Mildly Intriguing
Throughout the 1980s and early '90s, East German Katarina Witt dominated the world of ladies' skating. In her autobiography, Witt describes what skating has meant to her, as she details a coming-of-age story being "told" to a young up-and-coming skater, Jasmine.

The book is a fast read, and while it is mildly interesting, it is also very repetitive. Katarina skates past her childhood in the GDR, briefly mentioning her parents, and glosses over the competitions she has had in her life as well. There is virtually nothing about her Olympic bids in Sarajevo, Calgary, and Lillehammer, and little is mentioned of her famous rivalry with American Debi Thomas. Instead, the book focuses on advice Witt has for young skaters - namely, stay true to your dreams and don't give up.

When compared with what is perhaps skating's most famous memoir, "My Sergei" by Katia Gordeeva, this book falls far short. There is virtually no emotion, and the character Katarina is supposedly telling the story to may or may not exist (it's not made clear whether she is real or not). Little insight is offered into the world of skating, either at the amateur level or professional (Katarina doesn't talk about her years on Stars on Ice at all).

Overall, this book is decent, but by no means great. It is emotionless, and mildly intriguing, if more for its outrageous title than anything else. Looking for a great skating book? Try "My Sergei" instead.

Where's Katarina's involvement with the Stasi?
I wonder why Katarina stirs clear about her real life and her close involvement with the Stasi, and how it ruined and destroyed people's lives, it would at least have made a more interesting read than this dull book.

Ho hum, it has been said that Ms. Witt was never a very naturally gifted figure skater, that even her wonderfully choreographed programs were never easy for her to do.

It's also rather odd that for such an unrepentant and strident communist to take advantage of all the opportunities western life has given her, but she doesn't seem in the least bit grateful. Everything is about her, her, her. Definitely NOT a good role model for young girls or women.

The Crystal Charm of Katarina Witt
Tear your eyes away from the winter spectacle of the Turin Olympics and treat yourself to multiply talented skating superstar Katarine Witt's most intimate memories.She tells them all to a young girl whose name she kindly changes to "Jasmine," a young girl who comes to her in need of advice.Witt sees Jasmine as a version, perhaps, of her younger self, the self that grew up behind the Iron Curtain, indeed behind the Berlin Wall only to become a pawn of the feared Stasi.As Jasmine spends a week luxuriating in the presence of the adored Katarina, she asks her mentor a series of penetrating, even probing questions and these questions, together with the Delphic replies Katarina makes in response, form the backbone of this wise, witty and winning little book.Some may say, it feels like only about 30,000 words, far too short for a book costing $23.50, but i say, it was just the right length.

Jasmine asks about dating, and of course Katarina, as one of the most beautiful women in competitive sports, or indeed on Planet Earth, has plenty to say about it.Did you know the she once dated East German rock singer Ingo?In fact he was her first serious boyfriend; they met at a "youth festival" and fell madly in love.Those European "youth festivals" sound like fun.If I'm correct, that is where ABBA met each other a bit further north!Anyhow the government soon separated the young lovers.Jasmine then asks Katarina if it is true she once dated "McGyver"!Yes, she uses the name McGyver, almost as if she could not remember the actor's name who played him!(Richard Dean Anderson.)Instead of getting huffy, Katarina smiles sadly and reflects on how neither she nor Anderson were willing to move to the other's continent and that killed the romance, which however was quite "intense."What's little known is that McGyver himself (RDA as his fans call him) isn't a bad skater himself!In love, Witt advises,"if you want to become really serious, to have the relationship work, then somebody has to play second violin."Doesn't she sound charming and old world, where we in California might say, "second fiddle"?

Katarina also discusses her famous nude appearance in PLAYBOY.And she puts it in context, the context of the way that in Europe, particularly her country, nudity is natural.Until she was sixteen she walked around topless everywhere.Reading her life this way, you realize that an appearance in PLAYBOY was just like breathing in and breathing out for Katarina Witt.Ahe is magnificent, the Princess Caroline of Monaco of the ice world.Long may she reign, in the USA at any rate, for she admits that in the US audiences are warm and love an old skater, whereas in Europe the attitude is much more, you're old, get off the ice.In America, she says, she was shocked to see Dorothy Hamill still feted and hailed and worshipped by audiences even in her late forties!Wouldn't happen in East Germany, Hamill would be relegated to cooking strudel for the younger players. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Flaws
This is a very creative and well-illustrated book, but it is not accurate with the history.A lot of the pictures look different than what the events actually looked like and they left out a lot of information.

The biggest flaw said that Kristi Yamaguchi fell in her Olympic performance.This is not true.She fell on a jump she had never landed in competition at the 1992 WORLDS one month later, but she still won the gold for that.

ALittle Out of Date But GREAT Illustrations!
I have the paperback version of this book, and if you are a fan of Nancy, Oksana, Kristi or Michelle you NEED to have this book.While the written profiles of the skaters don't really offer the reader any new and/or groundbreaking information, and only cover these skaters' careers from 1996 and earlier, it's worth it for the illustrations alone, which are gorgeous and wonderfully done.While geared more towards the younger reader it is still a must have for fans of any of these four skaters. ... Read more

Product Description
Born in a small Ukrainian industrial town, Olympic figure skating champion Oksana Baiul suffered many childhood tragedies.When she was just two years old, her father abandoned her family, never to be heard from again. Oksana's grandparents died when she was ten, and, three years later, her mother died of cancer.Within a few months, the coach who had taken Oksana into his home defected to Canada, leaving his young pupil alone in the world.Brokenhearted, Oksana threw her skates in the trash,but she took refuge in her skating once again after famed coach Galina Zmievkaya offered to take her under her wing.Oksana had auditioned for Galina in a pair of borrowed skates held together by tape, but the coach recognized the young girl's tremendous skating talent and indomitable spirit.Today, Oksana's dramatic rags-to-riches story -- and the number of her fans -- continues to build.Oksana, who now lives and trains in Simsbury, CT, is preparing to reenter the competitive skating world in the 1997 World Championships and the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan.She regularly headlines in national skating tours and TV specials and has been featured in countless newspapers and magazines.In Oksana:My Own Story, readers will meet firsthand both the fantasy princess and the very real teenager; the gifted skater and the warm, fun-loving young woman.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Oksana Baiul My Own Story
This offers a glimpse into the world of a humble young Russian girl goes after the "brass ring" and wins Gold, before she fell from grace.
Oksana is a poised beautiful person who skates with her heart and was an inspiration for my 4 year old daughter to get on the ice and try.

From the heart
Oksana tells her story with moving earnestness, from her tragic personal losses to her triumph in Lillehammer. Everyone who watched her win the gold medal couldnt' help but be touched by her performance, which was yet another triumph over adversity (she had been injured in a practice in a collision with another skater). Her from-the-heart performance gave her the much-deserved Olympic medal. Here's a glimpse into the girl behind the glitter. Figure skating fans won't want to miss this one, and it's a tale of personal triumph and determination that other young athletes would do well to emulate ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

I'm an ice skater and I am really inspired by the book.
I ice skate too. I have been ice skating since I was 8 or 9 years old, and believe me I know what it feels like to be at the rink 4 days a week!! This book has really inspired me to keep up my goals for ice skating.

Great book! About 2 of the best skaters ever!
I am a normal 12 year old girl,so I think that this is a great book that shows what the the life of a young famous skater is really like.

Shows rewards when one overcomes challenges.
If you ever think about giving up before you achieve your goal, then you should read this because this book shows value of keeping at it,despite many hardships and difficulties one encounters.Both of these young girls can be real inspirations for others, and not necessarily girls. Do read this book!

AWESOME
The book was very good. I am a girl the age of 12, and I have a normal life. This book showed me what the life of a skater is like. Different! Every girl my age should read this book beofre the winter olympics to see what Tara and Michelle went through. Write a review telling me what you think! ... Read more

Product Description
In this wise and loving book, Olympic gold medal-winning skater Ekaterina Gordeeva talks to her young daughter, Daria, about the strength of family life and tradition as well as about a mother's hopes for her daughter. Illustrated with wonderful photos and Daria's drawings, this is a special book that mothers and daughters will want to share with each other. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great Book
I'm really glad I picked up this book. First off, it is a book that you can easily read in a single sitting. The family photos just add to the book.

Ekaterina's writing is very personal. It made me want to continue reading the book. I was a little disappointed when I reached the end, not because there were parts of the book that I didn't like, but because I wanted the book to keep going. I wanted to read more.

She is such a strong woman and has an amazing family. One part of her life is a situation that I'm currently going through. Reading how she handled it and bettered herself is an inspiration to me.

Why doesn't the US celebrate International Women's Day?

A GREAT SKATER,WOMAN AND MOTHER
Ekaterina is a very strong woman.
I know first hand,because I work on the ice with her and her daughter Daria....who is a wonderful child, a delight to be around...whom is raised very well behaved and intelligent.

Hats off to them both.
And her newest edition,little Liza is the cutest thing at the ice rink these days.

Wonderful people!!!! I wish the best for her always!! I feel so fortunate to have had this opportunity to meet her and her daughters.

Lisa

A Delightful Book full of warmth and love
This is a delightful book that showcases a mother's obvious love for her daughter and for her own mother and grandmother.In this book Katia reveals as much or more about herself than she did in her previous book (also a great book) and tells lots of cute and funny antecdotes about her family.As much as I love My Sergei, I think I actually like this one better.But, you should know, it is written for an older children's reading level and is very different from My Sergei in style.

Just so no one is mislead, there is NO mention of abortion in this book.Katia says only that she was very lucky that her parents and Sergei were supportive of her having Daria - nothing more, nothing less.Nor does Katia mislead anyone about her (and Sergei's) arrangements for the care of her/their daughter while they were away from home on tour for half the year (her parents moved to the U.S. with them so they could care for Daria while her parents worked (touring) - all children should be so lucky to have their grandparents with them rather than spending long hours in daycare - and Katia expresses her gratitude that that option was available and her desire to do the same for Daria's children one day just as her grandmother took care of her while her own parents were away).

In short, this is a delightful book that anyone with a mother or a child can enjoy and appreciate whether they are fans of skating or not.The wisdom Katia has gained from her grandmother and mother and passes on (along with her mom) to Daria is delightful and rings true across all cultures.This book also has some interesting glimpses into Russian/Soviet culture as it differs from our own.

Beautiful book of a mother's love for her child.
Obviously a previous reader didn't actually read this book since Katia doesn't talk about aborting her child in A Letter for Daria. This book is full of stunning pictures and you can see the love and happiness within this family. The story to her daughter is wonderful. Maybe this book will start a trend-all mothers should write journals to their children. I wish mine had.

Disenchanted
Katia comes across as a very needy, possessive, weak person. She gives the impression she raises her daughter when in reality her parents raised Daria. I can't believe Katia would relate in a children's book that she wanted to abort her daughter. She appears to see children as a burden. I'm disappointed. ... Read more

Product Description
At the age of 14, Tara Lipinski became the youngest figure skater to win the World Championship title. Tara's own words, accompanied by thoughts from her parents, coach, choreographer, and others close to her, turn this stunning pictorial into a colorful, remarkably candid visual journey of a skating phenomenon and her Olympic experience
... Read more

Customer Reviews (34)

Sweet Journey
In this pictorial legacy, the reader is treated to the history and triumphant win of Gold Medal winner, Tara Lipinski, the fourteen year old who claimed the highest honor in women's figure skating in the 1998 Winter Olympics.Simon Bruty's exquisite photographs showcase the hard work, beauty, grace and poise of this young skater, who claimed the hearts of sports enthusiasts worldwide in that chilly winter in Japan.This book is a real treat to those who love the sport in all of its marvelous facets.

Totally Tara
I never received this book.I was charged on my credit card and have still not received the book a month later!

Snooze-a-thon with a hint of self-glorifying.
How concieted can you get? This book does nothing but glorify it's subject and belittle her competitors. To add, the writing in this book is minimal. It's more of a picture book for the elementary school student as it has little literary value. If you want a book on figure skating, buy Culture on Ice instead.

A picture book
This book is 145 pages long, and nearly every single one of those pages is a picture. Some of the pictures have words written on them, but this is a picture book. Don't get me wrong though, these pictures do a good job of showing Tara's preparation for the 1998 games, and her experiences while she was there. You get a good look inside her training, and her mind set entering the games.

So, if you want to see a LOT of pictures of tara, and get a somewhat limited idea of her life, buy this book, but if you're looking for an autobiography...this isn't one.

Tara-Ice Princess
I think this is a great book! They could of put a little more writing in. But then again it was great the way it is! Tara is a wonderful skater and it is cool to see pictures of her on her way to reaching her goal! I love this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Two-time world champion and Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi has won the hearts of millions of fans. In "Always Dream", Kristi reveals how her determination, ambition and love of skating keeps her going, even in the midst of obstacles and tragedy. Full-color illustrations & photos . ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

It's like looking at someone's scrapbook
Very fun "scrap book" from figure skating's greatest!Kristishares her life from childhood to present.What I really like is how shetalks of her Japanese heritage.Very recommended.

How to make a young person happy
I presented Kristi's book to the nine-year-old daughter of a friend ofmine, and the look on her face was one of pure joy.Enough said. ... Read more