Growing up in a small town in regional Queensland Anna Meares cycled because she loved it. She and her sister Kerry spent hours on their bikes just for fun before their talent was spotted and they graduated into the more serious side of the sport. Lots of family sacrifice had to happen in the ensuing years as the girls moved to better facilities first in nearby Rockhampton and then later to Adelaide.
Like any sport cycling can be brutal. Anna had to watch her sister Kerry leave the sport due to injury and she herself suffered a life threatening broken neck. Throughout her painful rehabilitation she never considered leaving the sport, focusing instead on just how she could stay in shape until she was strong enough to ride again. She speaks of the jubilation of competing in the Olympics just a few short months later when she could have potentially been in a wheelchair.
As an Commonwealth and Olympic gold medalist Anna Meares is one of our most successful athletes of all time. But an athletes life is not an easy one. Many sacrifices must be made along the way to stay at the top of their game (whatever it may be). Anna details the ups and downs of this world, but her absolute passion for her sport shines through at all times.
This was an interesting story but it does involve a lot of details of individual competitions, which bogged the story down a little bit in places. All in all it was a good read.
As an Commonwealth and Olympic gold medalist Anna Meares is one of our most successful athletes of all time. But an athletes life is not an easy one. Many sacrifices must be made along the way to stay at the top of their game (whatever it may be). Anna details the ups and downs of this world, but her absolute passion for her sport shines through at all times.
This was an interesting story but it does involve a lot of details of individual competitions, which bogged the story down a little bit in places. All in all it was a good read.
