|
|
Books > Biography > Sport
Cheslin roared with happiness as the final whistle blew in Yokohama. They were champions! Later, as his captain lifted the 2019 Rugby World Cup trophy into the air, he felt prouder than he'd ever been before - of himself, his team and his country.
Cheslin Kolbe tells the story of a kid from Kraaifontein, Cape Town, whose talent took him to international sports stardom, first to Toulouse, France, and eventually to the call-up that would change his life forever: to play for the Springbok 2019 World Cup squad. It's the heartwarming story of a small player with a big heart whose signature sidestep helped the Springboks win the World Cup trophy for South Africa.
Cheslin Kolbe is part of the "Road to Glory" series, which covers some of South Africa's sporting legends as they set out on their journeys to becoming national and international stars.
On May 6, 2014 Ryan Waters accomplished something that has not been
replicated since. He and fellow explorer Eric Larsen stood atop the
geographic North Pole, after 53 grueling days battling their way
over an ever-melting sheet of ice that fought against them the
entire way. By reaching the pole the two adventurers became the
last persons to date to complete an unsupported trip to the North
Pole from land. The ice sheet that used to link the Pole to land in
Canada, once so thick and sturdy, has so degraded over the last few
decades that explorers have had to abandon any attempts to cross
it. While reaching the North Pole was monumental for Waters it also
was the final piece needed to complete a project that he had been
persistently working on for over a decade, the True Adventurers
Grand Slam-standing atop the Seven Summits and skiing full length,
unsupported and unassisted, expeditions to both the North and South
Poles. His accomplishment that day made him just the 9th person and
first American to gain entry into this exclusive club. Never one to
embrace the easy path, Waters seemed to thrive in battling through
whatever the fates threw at him, sometimes even deliberately
seeking out struggles. Despite having little experience
cross-country skiing, he decided to go to the South Pole. Eschewing
the more typical route, he and partner Cecilie Skog completed the
first traverse of Antarctica without the use of resupplies or
kites. Skiing from Berkner Island in the Weddell Sea, via the South
Pole, to the Ross Ice Shelf, the pair skied for 70 days and covered
1200 miles, 9 years prior to the much publicized 2019 "race" across
Antarctica. To this day the two hold the record for the longest
unsupported crossing of the continent without the use of kites. How
Waters ended up standing atop the North Pole on that fateful day is
a story of hope, perseverance, faith, and a fair share of dumb
luck. From his youth traipsing around the Georgia hills to his time
leading expeditions around the Himalayas, including five summits of
Everest, Waters has always seemed to stumble into the next
fortuitous step of his journey, often ending up in the most
unlikely places. This is tempered by the fact that early in Waters'
outdoor career, he learned to live by a simple credo: "you have to
make things happen for yourself." At the beginning of his climbing
career, he was consumed by passion for the mountains, every
decision was leading to the next mountaineering challenge.
Eventually giving up a stable career as a geologist, he had a
self-described "mid 20's crisis," left his 401K and comfortable
salary for living out of his truck and 40 dollars a day as a
part-time climbing instructor. Following his dream of a life of
adventure in exchange for a life of obeying societal norms, he set
out to build a mountain resume that would enable him to circle the
Earth and work as a mountain guide in the Himalayas and beyond.
After almost two decades of hard expeditions around the planet, his
experiences include being on a hijacked airplane in Russia, rescue
of injured climbers in the Karakoram Himalaya of Pakistan, the
Everest Base Camp earthquake disaster, narrowly missing out on the
K2 2008 tragedy, near misses with avalanches, the deaths of close
climbing partners, close encounters with Polar Bears on the Arctic
Ocean, relationships with fellow adventurers, and much more.
In the 1980s and early 1990s, David Campese thrilled spectators both in Australia and overseas with his footloose, crazy-brave style of free running. This book tells the story of his rise from humble beginnings to the very top of a global sport.
As a rugby player, David Campese seemed to operate on cross-grained pure instinct, one that left many a defender clutching at him in vain, stranded in the slipstream of his audacity. Hailed as the 'Bradman of rugby' by former Wallaby coach Alan Jones, and the 'Pele' of rugby by others, Campese was a match-winner. The refrain 'I saw Campese play' now speaks to much more than wistful reminiscences about a player widely regarded as the most entertaining ever to play the game of Rugby Union. It has come to represent a state of chronic disbelief that the Wallaby ascendancy of Campese's era has been seemingly squandered.
Campese occupies a unique intersection in rugby's history: one of its last amateurs, and one of its first professionals. He had shown, too, that coming from outside the traditional bastions of rugby - the private schools and universities - was no barrier to reaching the top. Indeed, he challenged that establishment and unsettled it, warning in the early 1990s that the code risked 'dying' if more was not done to expand its appeal.
David Campese revolutionised how the game was played and appreciated. His genius, most visibly manifest in his outrageous goosestep, captured the national and sporting imagination. The rigid, robotic rugby of today appears incapable of accommodating a player of his dash and daring.
Leading cycling writer William Fotheringham presents the biography
of the greatest cyclist in history, Eddy Merckx--the extraordinary
man who is to cycling what Muhammad Ali is to boxing. This
definitive history chronicles his life, examining both the ups and
the downs. Throughout his professional career Merckx amassed an
astonishing 445 victories and exhibited a remorseless sense of
domination that created his legend. But his triumphs only tell half
of a story that includes horrific injury, a doping controversy, and
tragedy. To discover the background of the Belgian cyclist's former
invincibility, the author spoke with those who were there at the
time and those who knew Merckx best. This is the singular tale of a
man whose fear of failure would drive him to reach the highest
pinnacles before ultimately destroying himself.
It is so statistically unlikely as to be almost unbelievable.
Somehow, the Gronkowski family has produced three sons who play in
the NFL (Rob, Chris, and Dan), one who was drafted into Major
League Baseball (Gordie, Jr.), and another who is the starting
fullback for Kansas State (Goose). Their father, Gordy, even played
college football for Syracuse.
How did it happen? From an early age, Gordy realized the
potential his sons had and worked with them to make the most of it.
Beyond their monstrous size, physicality, and raw talent, he
instilled in them a commitment to fitness, health, drive, and
determination that would give his boys a leg up in ways other
families simply couldn't match. And the boys' motivation certainly
wasn't something solely triggered by a driven father. They were
like a pack of adolescent wolves readying themselves for the
recruiting hunt. Still, all were honor roll students; the three
oldest earned college degrees. Each was motivated and inspired by
his brothers. Competition and bragging rights were -- and continue
to be -- a big part of what makes the Gronkowskis tick. "Growing Up
Gronk "reveals the secrets to the Gronkowski's astonishing
collective success while opening the door to a lively,
entertaining, one-of-a-kind household.
From the moment her parents first sat her in a go-kart, Susie Wolff felt it - the thrill of speed, the spark of something bigger. A little girl who dared to dream to one day race in Formula One. As Susie rose through the ranks of motorsport, one truth became impossible to ignore: she was almost always the only woman on the grid. And yet she held onto the unshakeable belief that instinct and resilience could carve a path through a world not designed for her. So when her racing chapter ended, she turned her mind to first transforming a struggling Formula E team and, later, leading F1 Academy, inspiring young women to enter the sport she loves. In Driven, Susie lifts the bonnet for the first time on her extraordinary life. From the driver's seat of the racing car to the heart of the F1 paddock, she offers a rare, first-hand view into the inner workings of motorsport at its highest level. With exceptional candour, she shares the story of her enduring relationship with her husband Toto and how she has navigated the balance between ambition and motherhood.
|
|