Breaking Free: Shattering Expectations and Thriving With Ambition in Pursuit of Gold

by McKenzie Coan, Holly Neumann

"I have no interest in living my life like a China doll." McKenzie Coan is an elite athlete. A world champion. A Paralympic gold medalist. A world record holder. And she's not done yet. In Breaking Free, McKenzie tells how she finds strength through swimming, despite the limited expectations placed on her by having osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease. With her graceful freestyle stroke and never-quit attitude, McKenzie breaks through the barriers of disability and lives a life of hope on the Paralympic stage and beyond. "Keep going. It is so worth it. I've had my hard moments in the pool before, too, but keep going. A champion's mindset isn't always about breaking records and winning gold medals. What makes a champion is going out on your lowest day or on the day that you fail or the day that you lose and still giving your all, still giving your best and refusing to quit."

200 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2021

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

McKenzie's autobiography is about a woman who has interwoven her disorder of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI–aka brittle bones) into a fulfilling life. McKenzie is more than a gold medal champion in swimming. She's a top level athlete on the world's stage for paralympians. And for her, it's not all about the gold. It's about how she can be a role model for others, those with or without OI. Her book is funny and full of hope–even in the midst of pain and broken bones. A must read for anyone who wants to know how to be a champion in their own life.