In his own words Bob talks of his early life, his path to becoming a professional jump jockey and how it felt being at the top of his game only to have it come crashing down with a life-threatening diagnosis. The depths of despair going through the radical new cancer treatment he was offered and the heights of joy with that famous Grand National victory. This new biography also looks at the whirlwind adventure his life has been since that glorious spring day at Aintree and examines the tremendous fund raising efforts of the Bob Champion Cancer Trust. Today Bob is the face of that Trust, the UK's most successful small cancer fund that has been responsible for raising almost GBP15Million, money which has allowed research efforts that have all but eradicated testicular cancer death and furthered new research enquiries into prostate cancer. For the first time Bob shares his thoughts on his life so far, the highs, the lows, injuries, illness and of course just what it felt like to win 'the ultimate test of horse and rider.'

Never Surrender: The Life of Douglas Jardine is the enthralling story of England's most controversial cricket captain, forever associated with bodyline bowling on MCC's tour to Australia in 1932/33. Despite his privileged upbringing and amateur status, Jardine's steely personality and win-at-all-costs ethos was more akin to the professional game. Confronted with the run-making genius of Australia's Don Bradman in 1932/33, Jardine resorted to a form of intimidatory bowling that helped England regain the Ashes, but his tactics shocked Australia and brought relations between the two countries to the point of collapse. To restore harmony, Jardine was disowned by the MCC cricket establishment and shunned thereafter, but now - in a more modern, competitive age - his reputation has undergone a rehabilitation, not least in Australia. Drawing on fresh material, award-winning cricket author Mark Peel reappraises an outstanding leader whose care for those he valued knew no bounds.

Bill Hartack won the Kentucky Derby five times, and seemed to hate every moment of it. ""If only Bill could have gotten along with people the way he got along with horses,"" a trainer said. His tragic, impoverished upbringing didn't help: his mother was killed in an automobile accident; the family home burned down; his father was murdered by a girlfriend; and he was estranged from his sisters. Larry King, his friend, said it was just as well the termperamental Hartack never married, because it wouldn't have lasted. Hartack became one of racing's most accomplished jockeys. But he was inveterate grouch and worked at giving the press a hard time. At 26, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Whenever the media tried to bury him, he would win another Derby. At the end of his life, he was found alone in a solitary cabin in the Texas hinterlands. Drawn from dozens of interviews and conversations with family members, friends and enemies, this book provides a full account of Hartack's turbulent life.

This book is the story of baseball pioneer J.L. Wilkinson (1878-1964) and the team he founded and owned, the famed Kansas City Monarchs. A white man, Wilkinson earned respect throughout the world of African American baseball by treating his players with fairness and respect. Wilkinson began his baseball career in Iowa as a player and later organizer of a traveling women's team in 1908 and the groundbreaking multi-racial All-Nations club in 1912. When he founded the Monarchs in 1920, Wilkinson was the only white owner of a Negro National League (NNL) team. Wilkinson led the Monarchs to great success, winning two Negro Leagues World Series championships and numerous pennants in the NNL and then the Negro American League. During the Great Depression Wilkinson developed an ingenious portable lighting system for night games that is credited with saving black baseball. He resurrected the career of legendary pitcher Satchel Paige in 1938. In 1945 Wilkinson signed a rookie named Jackie Robinson to the Monarchs and played a key role in the integration of major league baseball. J.L. Wilkinson was posthumously inducted in to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006, joining fourteen Monarchs players in the Hall.

This book tells the story of how Kris Meeke and Peugeot UK won the Intercontinental Rally Championship in their rookie year, from the disastrous opening round in Monte Carlo, to the ecstasy of winning the San Remo rally and the championship in the same weekend. This is the gripping tale of how Kris and Peugeot defied expectations and made their mark on this highly competitive championship. There are those who felt that Kris was quick but lacked the consistency to succeed at the highest level - but the man from Dungannon proved them wrong in the style of his mentor and rally legend, Colin McRae. The best of Kris is still to come.

The true story from which the inspirational movie Woodlawn starring Jon Voight, Sean Astin, and C. Thomas Howell, is based on African American running back Tony Nathan and his experiences on a mostly white team in 1970s Birmingham, Alabama, and how his courage and superb athletic ability helped heal a city, propelling him on to a successful football career as both a player and a coach in the NFL.When Tony Nathan got his hands on a football, it was like Superman putting on his cape. He stepped onto the field and became a different person--a hero destined to change the course of Alabama history. Somehow, when he held a football, he knew exactly what to do, and it was those instincts that helped him navigate life in one of the most tumultuous cities in America. In this powerful memoir, Tony reveals how he summoned the courage to "run with a purpose" during the times when racial tensions were at their highest as he grew from a boy trapped by the racial divide in Birmingham, Alabama, into a successful man and football hero. Tony's courage, character, passion, and strength contributed to his impressive career on the field--including two Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins--and then as a coach who helped train other winning players. Inspirational and uplifting, Touchdown Tony is not only a behind-the-scenes look at a great football player's life and career, it is also a story of redemption and one man's hope to change the future.

Willie Mays' career bridged eras in baseball history, from the Negro Leagues to expansion to free agency. Through it all, his all-around ability and his love of the game set him apart. His career accomplishments include 660 home runs, 2 MVPs, Rookie of the Year, and the first 30-30 season. No other player is cited by so many of his peers as the best they have ever seen. From his childhood growing up in segregated Birmingham, Alabama to becoming the first black team captain in baseball, Mays' life is described in detail. Readers will learn of his early life, his career with the Giants and the Mets, his induction into the Hall of Fame, understanding why he is regarded by many today as baseball's greatest living player.

Despite his outstanding pitching record, James Francis ""Pud"" Galvin (1856-1902) was largely forgotten after his premature death. During his 17-year career pitching for Pittsburgh, Buffalo and St. Louis, he was one of the best-paid players in the game. He died penniless. The diminutive hurler was the first to reach 300 wins, long before that statistic was considered a benchmark of excellence. Only four pitchers have amassed more victories. But because he played in two leagues today not considered ""major,"" not all of his wins have been counted by the baseball establishment. Through the efforts of a determined researcher, Galvin's record was documented decades after his death and he was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1965 with 365 wins. This book offers the first comprehensive telling of Galvin's story, covering his complete record and his use of a testosterone-based concoction-with eye-popping results-which earned him criticism as a pioneer of performance enhancing drugs.

Aly Raisman's skills as a gymnast have taken her to two Olympics (so far), and her charm and can-do attitude have made her a media darling and an inspiration to young girls everywhere. Not one to rest on her laurels (or rest at all!), Aly is excited to share her story and the wisdom she has gained on her path to success. She offers readers an empowering message through her story, one that she learned the hard way: that knowing what you're capable of and having the faith in yourself to doubt the doubters is key. Fierce takes readers behind the scenes and gives them an inside look at what it takes to be elite; the struggles and lessons Aly has experienced through her training and competitions; never-before-published personal anecdotes that show how Aly balanced school, social life, and being one of the world's best gymnasts. Aly's story is enhanced with motivational tips throughout, as well as a full-color photo insert, social media and journal excerpts, and other documentation of her inspiring story.

Cincinnati Reds leadoff hitter Johnny Temple batted over .300 three times between 1954 and 1959. A tobacco chewing, tough-talking hustler, he had a fiery disposition on the field which led many sportswriters, teammates and opposing players to refer to him as a throwback to baseball's early days-an Eddie Stanky or Enos Slaughter type who would challenge anyone to a fight. He and Milwaukee Braves shortstop Johnny Logan engaged in one of the Major League's longest-running feuds. Temple was an expert glove man, forming one of the premier double play combinations of the 1950s with shortstop Roy McMillan. Following his retirement in 1964, making ends meet became a daily struggle. Temple's life ended in disappointment and disgrace.

The history of baseball is filled with players whose careers were defined by one bad play. Mike Torrez is remembered as the pitcher who gave up the infamous three-run homer to Bucky ""Bleeping"" Dent in the 1978 playoffs tie-breaker between the Red Sox and Yankees. Yet Torrez's life added up to much more than his worst moment on the mound. Coming from a vibrant Mexican American community that settled in Topeka, Kansas, in the early 1900s, he made it to the Majors by his own talent and efforts, with the help of an athletic program for Mexican youth that spread through the Midwest, Texas and Mexico during the 20th century. He was in the middle of many transformative events of the 1970s-such as the rise of free agency-and was an ethnic role model in the years before the ""Fernandomania"" of 1981. This book covers Torrez's life and career as the winningest Mexican American pitcher in Major League history.

Set against the background of the Great Depression, this book looks at the life of Ralph Guldahl, who for a brief period in the 1930s was recognized as the best golfer in the world. From 1936 to 1940, he won two successive U.S. Opens, one Masters title and three successive Western Opens, held the best scoring average award and was a Ryder Cup player with a 100 percent record. After this memorable run, he ""lost his game"" and almost disappeared from view. This biography is the first to trace the rise and decline of his career and answer the question: ""What happened to Ralph Guldahl?

Ralph Kiner (1922-2014) was one of the most feared power hitters of his era. Babe Ruth predicted Kiner would be the slugger most likely to break Ruth's single season home run record. While the left fielder from New Mexico missed that mark, he did break one of the Babe's records, leading his league in home runs for seven consecutive seasons-a record unbroken since. Kiner set his records while playing for some of the worst teams ever to take the field. With little support in the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup, pitchers were often able to pitch around Kiner, walking him dozens of times per season. Despite this, Kiner made them pay for their mistakes, sending towering flies over the fences. After just 10 years in the league, Kiner's career on the field was cut short by chronic back pain. At retirement, his 369 home runs placed him sixth on the all-time list. He didn't leave baseball, however, serving as general manager of a minor league team and later announcing for the newly formed New York Mets in 1962, where he would be the voice of the team for more than 50 years. This is his story.

At the 1984 Olympics, American Scott Hamilton skated into the history books when he claimed a gold medal in Sarajevo. Beside him the entire time was his coach, Don Laws. A member of the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame and a U.S. Junior Champion, Laws is one of the most respected and admired ice skating coaches in the world. In addition to Hamilton, Don was the coach of champions Michael Weiss and Patrick Chan. This authorized biography tells the story of Law's exemplary life and chronicles his singular dedication to figure skating. Don Laws: The Life of an Olympic Figure Skating Coach recounts Don's youth, from his childhood in Washington, D.C. to his Junior Men's Figure Skating Championship to his triumphs as a coach on the international stage. Featuring personal interviews with many of his former pupils, this humorous and enlightening biography captures Don's dedication to the sport and to his students. In addition, this book goes behind the scenes of the controversial new judging system-for which Laws was one of only four coaches worldwide to take part in its creation-as well as touches upon the break between Don Laws and his star pupil, Patrick Chan. Including exclusive interviews with Scott Hamilton, Michael Weiss, premier Russian coach Tamara Moskvina, former International Skating Union member Sonia Bianchetti, and current ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta, this book is a one-of-a-kind look at a man who never broke from his beliefs and ideals and never wavered in his love for the sport. A chapter devoted to skating techniques laid out by Laws will be a helpful tool for figure skating coaches; but for the figure skater, and for any fan of the sport, it will be the stories, interviews, photographs, and history that make this book entertaining and inspiring.

Richard Parks has what must be one of contemporary sport's most extraordinary and inspirational stories. Soon after he turned thirty, the professional career in rugby that had been his life for over a decade was cut short by injury, leaving him faced with an uncertain future. But unlike many other young athletes, Richard decided to tackle his fears, anxiety and depression head on, taking inspiration from Ranulph Fiennes and a line from his grandmother's eulogy - "The horizon is only the limit of our sight" and setting out on challenges that have become part of his everyday life. Richard created history with his first endeavour - the 737 Challenge - by becoming the first person to conquer the highest mountain on each of the world's continents and venture to both the North and South Poles within seven months. Then in 2013 he tackled three hugely challenging events - an ultramarathon through the Peruvian jungle, the world's highest mountain bike race, and a double iron man triathlon in Snowdonia - in preparation for an even more extraordinary challenge: to record the fastest solo, unsupported and unassisted journey to the South Pole. These three challenges and the Antarctic speed record quest that saw Richard ski 11 hours a day enduring perishing conditions, broken skis and spending Christmas and New Year alone on the ice, were all filmed for a major four-part series to be broadcast on Channel 5 later this year. Beyond the Horizon is an amazing, inspiring, and exciting story for armchair adventurers, extreme sports and mountaineering fans alike.

So, who’s the best of 'em all? Tiger Woods? Jack Nicklaus? Bobby Jones? Ben Hogan? Golf fans will disagree until the end of time, but one thing is certain: For well over 100 years, the sport has provided its share of spectacular careers and indelible moments. And what about fan favorites such as Phil Mickelson, Nancy Lopez, and Lee Trevino? Where do they rank on the list? Or modern players like Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Nelly Korda, and Justin Thomas. Did they make the final cut―and if so, where?

In a joyride through golf history itself, New York Times bestselling author Michael Arkush establishes a ranking system that places a heavy emphasis on the game’s major championships and profiles the most accomplished and impactful golfers ever―men and women, known and unknown. Arkush captures the flair, as well as the flaws, of athletes who are intensely competitive, funny, peculiar, or larger-than-life. Crafted from hundreds of interviews and longtime relationships developed over a quarter century, The Golf 100 is an immensely entertaining read.