Gwen Jorgensen- USA’s First Olympic Gold Medal Triathlete is a book about a great triathlete. It was written by Elizabeth (Gwen’s sister) and Nancy (Gwen’s mother) Jorgensen. Gwen makes a few cameo appearances throughout the book. For example, in the beginning, she writes a note to the readers.
Gwen Jorgensen – USA’s First Olympic Gold Medal Triathlete
The book takes the reader back to when Gwen was a child and we get to experience her swimming career. You learn about her competitive nature and how she constantly pushed herself to improve. In Ninth grade, as part of cross-training for swimming, Gwen was doing drills on the track. Her sister was on the track team. The running coach told Gwen she was a talented runner and asked Gwen to join the track team. At first, she didn’t want any part of it. “I swim every day,” she said. But with a little convincing, she ran her first 800-meter race and won it.
Gwen Jorgensen – USA’s First Olympic Gold Medal Triathlete discusses how she was recruited by USA Triathlon and later joined a team in Europe to train for the Olympics. The journey continues through Gwen’s 2016 Rio win.
The book takes you inside Gwen’s head from Elizabeth’s point of view. Although I found her to be self-absorbed, to be an Elite athlete, you need to focus on yourself. Luckily, she had a supportive husband who quit his job and became her sherpa.
My Takeaway
I admired Gwen’s hard work and determination. The part of the book that resonated with me was her fear of speed on the bike. I had that same fear and I found it fascinating that her coach had her go on the back of a motorcycle at a fast speed down a mountain. I thought that was so interesting because, as I skied the other day, I stayed with that thought. I skied 24 mph and if I can do that, I should be able to ride that fast.
Gwen Jorgensen – USA’s First Olympic Gold Medal Triathlete is easy to read. You can get it on the Cardinal Press website, on Amazon, or at Barnes & Noble.