- Hardcover: 324 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd; 1st edition (15 Nov 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 074325242X
- ISBN-13: 978-0743252423
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 15.4 x 3.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 326,639 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
Paula Radcliffe has managed to be both very successful in her field and incredibly popular with the Great British Public. She was the underdog for so long -- narrowly missing out on medals in the 1999 World Championships and the 2000 Sydney Olympics -- that fans longed to see her win. Paula's rosy manner hides a tough resolve to succeed and in 2002 her luck began to turn. She won gold medals at both the Commonwealth and European championships and started to grab the headlines, bringing Britain's focus back to athletics. Paula's bravery is not limited to the track, however. She has become a passionate spokesperson against drug cheats and, inspired by her own battle with the condition, she is widely admired for her patronage of asthma charities. And even though Athens in 2004 proved to be more Greek tragedy than triumph, her popularity remains undimmed. Her remarkable life story of highs and lows is fully chronicled in this fascinating and inspiring autobiography.
From the Inside Flap
Paula Radcliffe has been hailed as one of the finest female distance runners of all time. Her amazing run of record-breaking victories in 2002 and 2003, including smashing the women’s world marathon record in Chicago and then again in London, showed an athlete at the peak of her powers – and her popularity. Such was her dominance that a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens seemed almost a formality. But as the world watched, and a nation held its breath, that historic race ended for her on a dusty kerbside instead of the podium.
Athens showed in heartbreaking and dramatic fashion that, for Paula, success has been hard-won. She was the underdog for so long – narrowly missing out on medals at the 1999 World Championships and the 2000 Sydney Olympics – and fans longed to see her win. But Paula’s eternally rosy manner and palpable decency hide a tough resolve to succeed, and she has never allowed high-profile losses to dent her confidence. With the support and guidance of her husband, the former 1,500-metre runner Gary Lough, and coach Alex Stanton, she remodelled her training schedule and emerged triumphant, winning gold medals at both the Commonwealth and European championships and grabbing headlines which have brought Britain’s focus back to athletics.
Paula’s bravery is not limited to the track, however. She has won many admirers for her work for asthma research – inspired by her own conquering of the condition – and has also been an outspoken campaigner against drug cheats in her sport, wearing a red ribbon symbolising her readiness to be tested for banned substances at any time.
What has driven this ‘quintessential girl next door’ to achieve so much, and how does she deal with the weight of expectation that now accompanies her? And what really happened that hot Athens afternoon? Paula Radcliffe reveals the true story behind the triumphs and trials in the most eagerly anticipated sports autobiography of the year.
Inside This Book
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
OK, I'll start by saying that I'm a runner myself and a fan of Paula's (although I'm not a die-hard, member-of-the-church-of-PR kinda fan).
I found it great to read about her childhood and her background as a runner - she really was the underdog for quite some time! Getting a (tiny) glimpse into her training schedule also interested me (for obvious reasons), and also the ice-baths, nutrition, etc. But she clearly adores running.
She seems to have suffered countless injuries. This is probably common in elite athletes, but reading about how often they get them makes you wonder how fit these people really are! I mean, these professional runners are plagued with injuries, while the average overweight middle-aged person manages just fine!
Paula also, obviously, talks in detail about Athens and how it all went wrong. It's pretty upsetting to read - but it was upsetting to watch, too.
She also has a great, not-too-detailing writing style.
I liked it.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an inspiring read about Paula's career in athletics and her dedicated training. You can tell she is a very grounded honest person who tries to be as unbiased as possible in an autobiography. The one niggle I have with it is that she repeats herself from chapter to chapter which can become frustrating to read, and she also jumps back and forth chronologically at times which gets a little confusing. Considering she isn't a writer, these faults should have been rectified at editing stage. Never the less, this is an enjoyable read about a dedicated, honest athlete with obvious integrity to her sport.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very honest story of dedication & talent combined with disappointment & success. However it is rather repetitive & dull, even for this marathon runner.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Oh Paula!
As a (former, now injured!) runner, I've often argued with people that Paula Radcliffe is Britain's greatest-ever sports person - check out her list of World Records at a wide... Read more
Published 1 day ago by C. CARBERRY
Excellent Read- Paula Is Such A True Herion
Reading this autobiography you really have to feel for Paula. After so much success all through the years she is still short of an Olympic medal. Read more
Published 8 months ago by frodo2010
A little slow!
I had looked forward to receiving this book, only to be a bit dissepointed with it.
I found the book, although it is divided into sections, not easy to follow, not generally... Read more
I found the book, although it is divided into sections, not easy to follow, not generally... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Dr. Christopher G. Cottam
brilliant
I usually tend to struggle to get into books, however has I am into athletics myself I thought it would be interesting to read about Paula. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Nikita Prentice
Paula is a runner not a writer
It's good to read about Paula's story so far, but can be a hard book to maintain interest, the first half of the book is very repetative, at times I thought 'I've read this bit... Read more
Published on 8 Feb 2010 by Ms. Siobhan Lewry
Good form, good pace, a bit heavy legged in places, not quiet a pb
This is an autobiography covering Paula's life up to the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004. The book is a broadly chronological account of her life moving at a good pace delivered... Read more
Published on 4 April 2009 by Mr. I. Ogilvie
Thanks for all your hard work
After the first chapter where Paula thanks everyone under the sun - numerous times - the story of her running career starts. Read more
Published on 6 Feb 2009 by Nigel Davies
An Inspiration
Having realised that walking up my own house stairs had me almost passing out I decided to take up running (walking was a good start in my case) and within 6 months I completed my... Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2008 by Boof
Could be better
Good read but nothing that really gets to the heart of Paula's obsession with running. Also nothing that is not known already by the general public. Read more
Published on 31 Oct 2007 by JD
Worth reading
Yes, the book is in part repetitive (hello other reviewers, welcome to the mentality of a world class runner ...repetition). Read more
Published on 26 Mar 2007 by SugarRay
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