Swimming for My Life

A Memoir

De: Kim Fairley

Narrado por: Emily Rankin

In her new memoir Swimming for My Life (She Writes Press, October 11, 2022), Fairley tells the riveting true story of what she—and many other elite and female swimmers—endured on their teams. From abusive coaches and workouts that stretched the limits of what the body could endure to daily weigh-ins and extreme dieting, her journey brought not only triumph, but also trauma. And the trauma was not limited to the pool: At home, Fairley and her four younger siblings were often left alone to fend for themselves, without even money for food, as their neglectful and emotionally immature parents traveled the Midwest selling imported wooden ornaments from their motorhome.

A peek into the dark side of elite swimming as well as a tale of family bonds, Swimming for My Life offers a rare, up-close look at struggles that are often obscured and how the very events that scar us most deeply can also save our lives.

©2022 Kim Fairley (P)2022 Kim Fairley

Excellent story and incredible narration

Loved every thing about this book! The narration was excellent and the story compelling. Having been a swimmer myself, it transported me back to the gritty, dysfunctional coaching of the 70’s. The author does an amazing job of using the backdrop of swimming to tell a story of a messy family you can’t help but love.

Disappointing

When a memoir is filled with quotes, it feels to me like it is a novel, and often a YA novel. My gut reaction to this is to not trust the author. In my opinion, this author far overuses quotes, many dating back over 50 years. I don't see how they can all be accurate. I would have found it far more relatable if she summarized situations in her own voice. She alludes to a many serious situations, but never explains them in depth. This leaves me with the feeling that this book was therapeutic for her to write, but that she forgot about the audience. I really wanted to love this book, since I was a swimmer not long after this timeframe and could strongly relate to what the summary portends the author will describe. Instead I found myself thinking that she was far off the mark. While I find most books by swimmers and other athletes to be very interesting, this one missed the mark for me.