Brave Enough

By: Jessie Diggins, Todd Smith

Narrated by: Allyson Ryan

Pyeongchang, February 21, 2018. In the nerve-racking final seconds of the women's team sprint freestyle race, Jessie Diggins dug deep. Blowing past two of the best sprinters in the world, she stretched her ski boot across the finish line and lunged straight into Olympic immortality: the first ever cross-country skiing gold medal for the United States at the Winter Games.

The 26-year-old Diggins, a four-time World Championship medalist, was literally a world away from the small town of Afton, Minnesota, where she first strapped on skis. Yet, for all her history-making achievements, she had never strayed far from the scrappy 12-year-old who had insisted on portaging her own canoe through the wilderness.

In Brave Enough, Jessie Diggins reveals the true story of her journey from the American Midwest into sports history. With candid charm and characteristic grit, she connects the dots from her free-spirited upbringing in the woods of Minnesota to racing in the bright spotlights of the Olympics.

Going far beyond stories of races and ribbons, she describes the challenges and frustrations of becoming a serious athlete. She also openly shares her harrowing struggle with bulimia, recounting both the adversity and how she healed from it in order to bring hope and understanding to others experiencing eating disorders.

©2020 Jessie Diggins (P)2020 Tantor

inspiring story for everyone to read

This is well written story that all coaches and athletes should read! i found myself laughing and crying throughout this heartwarming story.

Truths that need to be talked about

This is a beautiful story about the unbeautiful things. Grit, struggle, disease, all the little pebbles that form the huge mountain that no one sees until the person gets to the top. Only then do we take notice. Then do we congratulate them on all the success not knowing just how much they actually endured. Every journey to the top has hardships. Some endure more than others. Some die trying. Some stop trying. Some mountain tops are not as high as the next person’s. How high should never be the only goal. It’s how much truth can one find about themself. Keep going until you know that you are good and whole and brave and confident at being YOU. Be true and kind to YOURself as well as others!
(I love it when autobiographies are read by the author, however I completely understand the time commitment it takes. Jessie still has game! Well done.)

Honest Story

I like how Diggins was open and honest about her major struggles on her way to Olympic success. As a Minnesotan, it's also fun to hear about other Minnesotans.

Great Story

Great story but towards the end politics crept in. I’d prefer the story without her political views. Kudos to Jessie for all of her hard work and accomplishments.

Here comes Diggins!

Inspiring and vulnerable recount of challenges and hard work, and ending with the story of one of the best Winter Olympic moments!

Almost a perfect story to share with young girls….

As a dad of three young daughters I try to seek out positive, strong female role models. Jessie Diggins and her story definitely fit the profile. The only disappointing thing about the book is the amount of curse words that are used throughout. The foul language sprinkled throughout this book doesn’t add to the story. Instead it makes me cringe every time I hear it when my kid’s are trying to get inspired by a story as special as Jessie’s. Why include it ? What value does it add?

A real and relatable listen

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. It gives you not only Jessie’s story but a view that’s relatable and helpful in your own life.

Motivating

Entertaining, inspirational and motivational - One of my favorite parts was the hundred meter roller skate And Jessie's quote "Because 96 isn't 100"

Encouraging, honest, and inspiring!

Such an honest and encouraging story of a phenomal athlete, teammate, and human! I wholeheartedly recommend this book! Jesse's story is so peronsal yet relatable and the narration was wonderfully done!

Inspiring - Great Listen!

I’m a big fan of Jessie Diggins - a humble star who won an Olympic Gold Medal in a sport largely unrecognized in the USA. When I learned she had a book I was immediately interested. Her story deals with the challenge of overcoming an eating disorder and her path to becoming a world class athlete. She’s a great role model - a genuine human being who has not been ruined by success. She’s achieved even more “firsts” in her sport since the book was written. I’m going to listen to this book again- it’s very encouraging.