Every four years, a magical event takes place. No not Leap Year. It's the Winter Olympics!
All of a sudden, everyone cares about who has the hammer on the curling ice. Everyone over the age of 30 cringes during slalom skiing. Or if you don't get caught up in the competition, then maybe you love hearing the stories about the athletes who are competing. Those Johnson & Johnson commercials know how to tug at the heartstrings, don't they?
Here are five audiobooks to help you dig even deeper into the inspiring tales behind the Olympians we know and cheer for!
The Boys in the Boat - This story has everything: the Great Depression, an underdog team, Nazis, and boats. Learn how a group of ragtag rowers pull together to compete in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. When you're done listening to the story, pick up the movie and get inspired all over again!
The Hard Parts - Oksana Masters is a multi-sport multi-Olympic athlete. She has competed in both Summer and Winter Paralympics, becoming the most decorated USA winter athlete. Follow her story from the depths of Ukrainian orphanages to the heights of the gold medal podium.
For the Glory - Everyone knows the soundtrack, even if you don't know the story of Eric Liddell. Search the theme for Chariots of Fire and try not to be inspired. Then read the story of Eric Liddell and try not to be inspired. This guy was another multi-sport athlete and a missionary and a POW. What a wild race he ran.
Wolfpack - Known for her plays on the soccer pitch, Abby Wambach has gone on to become a podcaster, ambassador, and author. This particular book is based on her commencement speech delivered at Barnard College. Wambach delivers a message about how building a team can create a positive world.
The Other Olympians - Ever heard of Zdeněk Koubek or Mark Weston? Not surprising, as they were athletes in the 1930s. They were also some of the first trans athletes to try and compete not as the gender they were assigned at birth. The author, Michael Waters, traces the history of Koubek and Weston and how their stories coincide with the International Olympic Committee's decisions to work with a Hitler-led Germany.
