For Fans Of...
 
We just finished the Winter Olympics in Milan at the end of February and the Paralympics a few days ago. The US won 12 gold medals in the Olympics and 13 gold medals in the Paralympics. Of the 12 in the Olympics, 8 were won by women in solo events or as part of a mixed team. In the Paralympics, 8 of the 13 were won by women in solo events or part of a mixed team.
 
What better way to celebrate those gold medalists during Women's History Month than with a reading list of books by and about women in winter sports? There are books for all ages to enjoy.
 
Included in the list are memoirs by Kendall Coyne-Schofield, part of the US Women's Hockey Team, and Oksana Masters, a multi-sport Paralympic athlete, who won multiple gold medals in cross-country skiing this year.
 
 
Happy Reading!
Laura
 
Mikaela Shiffrin, Breezy Johnson, Elizabeth Lemley, Madison Chock, Ellie Kam, Alysa Liu, Amber Glenn, Elana Meyers Taylor, Kate Delson, Kendall Gretsch, Sydney Peterson, Oksana Masters. Team USA hockey: Cayla Barnes, Hannah Bilka, Alex Carpenter, Kendall Coyne Schofield, Britta Curl-Salemme, Joy Dunne, Laila Edwards, Aerin Frankel, Rory Guilday, Caroline Harvey, Taylor Heise, Tessa Janecke, Megan Keller, Hilary Knight, Ava McNaughton, Abbey Murphy, Kelly Pannek, Gwyneth Philips, Hayley Scamurra, Kirsten Simms, Lee Stecklein, Haley Winn, Grace Zumwinkle
 
As Fast as Her: Dream Big, Break Barriers, Achieve Success by Kendall Coyne
As Fast as Her: Dream Big, Break Barriers, Achieve Success
by Kendall Coyne

As Fast as Her is the exciting story of hockey star Kendall Coyne, who led the US Women's Hockey team to Olympic gold and was the first female hockey player to compete in the fastest skater competition at the NHL All-Star weekend.
A Skating Life: My Story by Dorothy Hamill
A Skating Life: My Story
by Dorothy Hamill

The dazzling smile, the signature haircut, the staple spin. America's Sweetheart Dorothy Hamill grew up on the ice, working toward the dream she was to accomplish by age nineteen: winning Olympic gold in figure skating. But life was not the picture of perfection it appeared to be. Dorothy faced a painful inner struggle from the time she was a young girl that followed her into adulthood--though she would not know about the depression that ran in her family until much later in life. Weeks and months away from home to train and compete took a difficult toll, yet little reprieve could be found in the tumultuous and fragile relationship she had with her parents. Dorothy went on to marry the man of her dreams, only to have the partnership end in heartache and a tragedy that almost pushed her to her breaking point. Then, just when a light at the end of the tunnel finally began to appear, a second failed marriage tried and tested Dorothy's trust and strength yet again--a travesty that could have led her to give up. But, she found a remarkable strength in what she did have--her greatest love, her daughter Alexandra.Thank goodness, I had my skating. There was certainly a pattern to my life. When times were tough, I went skating. It was only while I was out on the ice, enjoying the freedom of movement and my love of music, that I was able to escape from my bottomless heartache. In her deeply moving and honest memoir, Dorothy opens up for the first time about love, family, courage, and what it means to truly win both on and off the ice.
Running on Ice: The Overcoming Faith of Vonetta Flowers by Vonetta Flowers
Running on Ice: The Overcoming Faith of Vonetta Flowers
by Vonetta Flowers

On February 18, 2002, Vonetta Flowers made Olympic history, becoming the first African-American to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Her fellow Olympians chose her to carry the U.S.A. flag in the closing ceremonies. But this historic feat took the faith of a conqueror. though trained as a track and field athlete since the age of 9, Vonetta did not make the cut for the summer olympic track team. Her coach and husband, Johnny, later saw an ad for bobsled competitors and convinced Vonetta to go for this previously unconsidered sport. She made it. Her lifetime of track training placed her in the anchor position on the 2-woman bobsled team, and the rest is literally history. Vonettas story is one of intense faith in God, whom she freely credits for her victories.
Rise: My Story by Lindsey Vonn
Rise: My Story
by Lindsey Vonn

The first ever inspirational memoir from the most decorated female skier of all time, revealing never-before-told stories of her life in the fast lane, her struggle with depression, and the bold decisions that helped her break down barriers on and off the slopes.82 World Cup wins. 20 World Cup titles. 3 Olympic medals. 7 World Championship Medals.A fixture in the American sports landscape for almost twenty years, Lindsey Vonn is a legend in the world of women in sports. With a career that spanned a transformation in how America recognizes and celebrates female athletes, Vonn--who retired in 2019 as the most decorated American skier of all time--was in the vanguard of that change, helping blaze a trail for other world-class female athletes and reimagining what it meant to pursue speed at all costs.In Rise, decorated Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn shares her incredible journey for the first time, going behind the scenes of a badass life built around resilience and risk-taking. One of the most aggressive skiers ever, Vonn offers a fascinating glimpse into the relentless pursuit of her limits, a pursuit so focused on one-upping herself that she pushed her body past its breaking point as she achieved greatness. While this iconic grit and perseverance helped her battle a catalog of injuries, these injuries came with a cost--physical, of course, but also mental. Vonn opens up about her decades-long depression and struggles with self-confidence, discussing candidly how her mental health challenges influenced her career without defining her. Through it all, she dissects the moments that sidelined her and how, each time, she clawed her way back using an iconoclastic approach rooted in hard work--pushing boundaries, challenging expectations, and speaking her mind, even when it got her into trouble. Featuring sixteen pages of photos, Rise is an inspirational look at her hard-fought success as well as an honest appraisal of the sacrifices she made along the way--an emotional story of overcoming adversity and winning that understands all too well that every victory comes with a price.
The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph by Oksana Masters
The Hard Parts: A Memoir of Courage and Triumph
by Oksana Masters

The United States' most decorated winter Paralympic or Olympic athlete tells how she overcame Chernobyl disaster-caused physical challenges through sheer determination and a drive to succeed to win the world's best in elite rowing, biathlon, cross-countryskiing, and road cycling competitions.
Breaking the Ice: The True Story of the First Woman to Play in the National Hockey League by Angie Bullaro
Breaking the Ice: The True Story of the First Woman to Play in the National Hockey League
by Angie Bullaro

A picture book biography of Manon Rhâeaume, a groundbreaking hockey player who became the first woman to play in the National Hockey League--
Finding the Edge: My Life on the Ice
by Karen Chen

At seventeen, Karen Chen has already achieved what some girls can only dream of--and it's only the beginning for her. The daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, she began figure skating at five. Ten years and many grueling training sessions later, she won a bronze medal at the 2015 US Championships after sustaining a nearly career-ending ankle fracture a year earlier. In 2017, she became the US National Champion, winning gold twice and receiving the highest score ever recorded for the short program at the US National level. Now for the first time, Karen shares the story of how she got where she is today-and where she's going next. She's already overcome astounding obstacles, and her grit, determination, and positive attitude have made her future truly limitless. In Finding the Edge, she shares, in her own words, what it takes to achieve the impossible. Including behind-the-scenes details from Karen's journey on and off the ice, Finding the Edge also features a foreword from Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi.
Marvelous Mabel: Figure Skating Superstar by Crystal Hubbard
Marvelous Mabel: Figure Skating Superstar
by Crystal Hubbard

Meet Mabel Fairbanks, the skating superstar who became the first Black athlete inducted into the US Figure Skating Hall of Fame.
Who Is Chloe Kim? by Stefanie Loh
Who Is Chloe Kim?
by Stefanie Loh

Learn about the life and career of Olympic gold medalist and legendary snowboarder Chloe Kim.
Have recommendations?
Contact me by email, lvollmer@seolibraries.org, or in person.