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Jan 12, 2012

Darcy rated it:

I really liked this book, part of it is that I swam competitively as a kid. Not on the scale that Dara talks about as I lived in a podunk town, but there was so much of what she talked about that made me think of the good old days when I was swimming daily. The other big thing that this book did was make me want to swim again, which is effectively what her message was about, that you can do whatever you set your mind too, you just have to believe in yourself.

I really liked how posi More...

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Jan 01, 2012

Haven rated it:

An amazing swimmer, but not an impressive writer at all. The book was so unorganized - it was clear that no one encouraged her (or the ghost writer) to even make an outline before beginning the book. One paragraph you would be reading about the 1990's, the next about 2008, then back to the '80's.

I love what Dara has accomplished and how she inspires others, but I actually thought less of her after reading this book. It was very interesting to read about the swimming aspect of it a More...

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Jul 30, 2011

Chris added it

"My favorite thing to do is dive into a pool when no one's around. A big 50-meter pool, preferably outside, with the lane lines in. In competition, the water is so choppy you feel like you're in the ocean, in a storm. But to me an empty pool is the most peaceful place in the world. I love diving in, breaking the surface, slipping to the other side. And once I'm in, I don't come back to the surface right away. I stay under. I turn over on my back and look up at the sky, under water. I watch More...

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Apr 21, 2009

Mindy rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Feb 09, 2012

Ellis rated it:

This book would have been better if it were titled, "Age really slows you down, especially in high intensity activities, unless you're a freak of nature. Fortunatly, oldies are wiser, train better, and enjoy better supporting technology, so if they are freaks then it's possible that they can still be very competitive." Of course, you can see why they decided to stick with, "Age is Just a Number".

I liked this book, but I'm really glad that I read it when I did, More...

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Jul 27, 2009

Kate rated it:

Yes, Dara Torres is driven and competitive and physically gifted, but she's very forthright about both the good and the bad. I think the book has a slightly misleading subtitle (probably tacked on by the publishers to sell more books); it's not really a how-to motivational in the traditional sense, but rather an honest recounting of Dara's life and the events that lead her to make the decision(s) to continue swimming. Through her journey we learn that so many of the limitations placed on us simp More...

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Sep 29, 2011

Sadie rated it:

I enjoyed reading about Dara Torres experience with her many comebacks to the 5 olympics she participated in. I was a little disappointed that she didn't share more about her struggle with infertility, but I know that's such a personal battle, and it wasn't the focus on the book.

Dara Torres has access to an incredibly amount of resources that made her amazing comeback possible and I appreciated that she was aware of that. I'm curious to see if she'll try for a 6th olympics in 2012. The More...

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Aug 21, 2010

Maysoon rated it:

First off, the title is misleading - this is not a motivational or a how-to book. It's a memoir. I knew this beforehand so it wasn't an issue but others could be confused. Dara Torres won three silver medals at the 2008 Olympics - an incredible achievement, especially since she was 41 at the time. I was curious about her story and hoping to be inspired at the same time. Unfortunately, I was distracted by the poor writing (even with the help of a co-writer) and the extremely disorganized chapters More...

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Jun 01, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

Being in the over 40 crowd and a lover of swimming, it is easy to be drawn to a finely tuned athlete like Dara. Yes she did have a life of privilege and seemed to walk onto sunny pool decks of elite swimming clubs with ease. But one cannot determined the life they are born into. They can only exceed in and with the gifts they are given. Dara does this with determination and a never-failing competative spirit. I enjoyed reading this memoir (not a how-to book) as it gave us Dara's view on the jou More...

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Jun 29, 2010

Krusher rated it:

I enjoyed the book. Dara seems to be very open and honest about her life; in and out of the water. As a 40-something year old runner who tries to remain competitive, in my age group anyway, I found a lot I could relate to. And, it was interesting to get an inside look from an elite athletes perspective of the Olympics and world class competition.

Regardless of your sport, any middle aged athlete will get a lot out of this book. Dara is right, age is only a number.

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Feb 26, 2011

Valerie J K rated it:

Great book if you like swimming, which I do. Amazing what this 41-year-old mother accomplished in the Olympics. For someone with an A++ personality, she sure jumped around a lot; I would've preferred it a little more chronological, because when I go back to re-read a certain part, I have a hard time finding it. It is very motivating, and makes me want to run another marathon (it's been 5 years now). Overall a fascinating story.

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Jul 13, 2009

Andy rated it:

I rooted for her quest to qualify for the Olympics and watched her races during the Olympics. So this was a fun read, she talked a little about her stroke technique and about her training (interesting emphasis on stretching and low weight strength training) but this was mainly about the various Olympics she was in with the highlight on 2008. I enjoyed it but I'm not sure I'd recommend to people who weren't already following her story

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Aug 11, 2009

Carlos JP rated it:

I've learned so far that I'm not the only person in the world who defines oneself, feels a sort of "calming" effect, and an understands the sometimes virtually overwhelming desire to exercise. For both Dara and me (and, surely, countless other competitive perfectionists), there is no middle ground, no, "I'll just get my feet wet." We'll either choose not to train/play, or we'll run/swim/bike(/etc.) our asses off. In her book, Dara even mentions how, in the interim years wh More...

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Aug 12, 2009

Donna Lyn rated it:

inspirational book. i learned a lot that i could apply to my own discipline in my own business. i would have much prefered chronological order though - it jumped around so much i was getting confused onto which comeback she was refering to. i knew olympic swimmers trained hard but this was a glimpse into what that really is like - at least for the elite anyway. and very fun to relive the 2008 olympics from her perspective!

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Jun 02, 2009

Julie rated it:

Not a long book at all so a very quick read. I didn't really care for the style of this and I didn't feel like her "co-writer/ghost writer" did a good job of truly capturing Torres' voice. The book also could have used some tighter editing - at about the 5th or 6th mention of a breakfast of a Living Fuel shake I was ready to throw the book across the wall. At the same time, Torres does have a good story with a great message.

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Sep 09, 2009

Traci rated it:

Let me start by saying that I have not much cared for the writing of most celebrity memoirs - this one does not differ. I don't like to read stories that are out of order except for the occasional murder mystery or novel with an artfully woven timeframe. Memoirs are not the case. They should be written from beginning to middle to end. I have only read two memoirs so far that follow this basic concept.

On the content of the actual athlete - she is freaking amazing! 41 sounds seriou More...

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Jan 11, 2010

Peggy rated it:

This was an ok book about Dara Torres, the oldest swimmer to win an Olympic Medal in swimming. She talks about why she came out of retirement several times to compete again and what it takes to train for the Olympics. Parts were intersting but some was just plain boring. Most of the book was encouraging. Maybe you can achieve your dreams at any stage of your life, but I wasn't very inspired to go out and achieve anything!

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Apr 24, 2010

Brenda rated it:

Great read to inspire me before I turned 40, April 1. As a swimmer, I knew a little about her. Her regimen helped her to swim faster than she did after having a baby and being older. Of course, money, time and being extremely competitive helped her on the way. But she has the raw talent and dedication to do whatever it takes to be an Olympian. Awesome lady!

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Jun 18, 2010

Samantha rated it:

Pleasant, motivating read. I try to read a good selection of motivating books each month - to help me with my life, health, fitness, and mental goals. Dara Torres is pretty much the perfect example of someone who works hard, trains smart, and follows through.

I also have an insatiable urge now to hop into a pool. Hah!

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Aug 13, 2011

Jill rated it:

As an exercise physiologist, I found the training techniques she employed for her many comebacks to be very interesting. As a 40-something mother, I found her story of not only continuing to compete, but break stereotypes about athletes inspiring. I'm looking forward to reading more of her books.

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Feb 13, 2011

Simonetta rated it:

It was interesting to dive (ha, ha I made a pun) in the psyche of an olympian athlete and how she challenged herself. For me from a professional prospective it was interesting to see how she trained for the 2008 olympics although she did not revealed all her secrets.
at times the book was a bit confusing and the narrative did not flow, but interesting and inspiring.

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Dec 29, 2011

Jessica rated it:

As an ex-swimmer I find Torres's training notes interesting and can relate to her experience slightly - even being not particularly talented at the sport, her comments on swim practice being a place that leaves you alone with your thoughts brought back a lot of memories. Her story and her commitment to her goals is inspiring, but I really wish she'd left out the recurring advertisement for her preferred brand of supplements. Books are really the last remaining media that doesn't interrupt your More...

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Aug 11, 2010

Cjpeffer rated it:

Interesting view into an elite athlete's life and how she worked to come back a number of times in a sport that considered 23 to be old age. She definitely inspired me to read her Gold Medal Fitness which has great stretches, something we all need!

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Feb 25, 2010

Dawn rated it:

This book was fun to read. Not the most enlightening autobiography I've ever read but it was worth reading anyway. I liked how it moved from present to past throughout the book. It made it much more interesting to read.

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Mar 17, 2010

Carol rated it:

Torres talk about her life in 3 different and interesting ways...as a swimmer, as a new mom and as a middle aged athlete. This is a quick read but I found it very engaging and enjoyed a few hours with it.

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May 11, 2009

Robin rated it:

I think she is an amazing athlete. As a writer, not so much. This book was short and loosely written. It bounced around in time and lacked the details of her training and daily life I was interested in.

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Jan 13, 2010

Jessica rated it:

The title sums it up nicely. What an inspirational book. I have a better perspective on what I can expect of myself when I reach her age - anything! Never quit. Never sale yourself short.

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May 05, 2009

Lisa rated it:

I just find Dara torres inspirational so I decided to read her book. It was a quick read and very fun. She is just a hardworking, dedicated person. I want to be her when I grow up! ha ha

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Sep 07, 2009

Mary Ann rated it:

The body is much more resilient than I'd imagined. It's possible to reach your goals no matter how unattainable they may seem. The author proves that it's never too late.

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Jul 13, 2009

Patty rated it:

She has a funny sense of humor and she is super competetive. Amazing she is still competing...she just won the 50 for the USA trials to go to the world games at age of
43

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