Dottir

May 27, 2019
CrossFit Games champ Davidsdottir maps out how she was named the games’ “Fittest Woman on Earth” two years in a row, in this breezy yet high-impact memoir. A former gymnast and track athlete from Reykjavík, Iceland, 26-year-old Davidsdottir credits her supportive family and that storied Icelandic Viking blood for her drive and strength, but it wasn’t until she was 18 that she “found my home” with CrossFit: “The mix of mental challenges and competition fanned the flame inside of me to a red-hot glow.” She delights in each seemingly impossible challenge (e.g., muscle-ups, which are pull-ups with arms extended above the bar, followed by a dip), obsessing until she conquers it. After training for less than a year, she starts competing in 2012, and in 2014, after falling short in regional competition, she dumps law school to pursue her passion full-force. “Failure has been the key ingredient to my success in sports and in life.” Through brutal dawn-to-dusk sessions with her coach, Davidsdottir—writing in prose as efficient as her workouts—cleans up “the space between my ears” and finds her ferocity, snatching the Fittest Woman title in 2015 and 2016. This is an inspiring narrative for girls, women, CrossFitters, and anyone searching for physical or mental toughness.

July 1, 2019
CrossFit is a high-intensity workout with a variety of movements that vary from pull-ups to running, weight lifting, gymnastics, and obstacle courses, to name a few of the disciplines. A relatively new concept (2000), it has increased in popularity, with people drawn to the fitness and training lifestyle. Since 2007, the CrossFit Games have been contested to answer the question, Who is the fittest person in the world? A native of Reykjav�k, Iceland, Davidsdottir chronicles her passion for physical challenges dating back to her early years: I came out of the womb hypercompetitive. She describes her experience as a competitive gymnast and two-time CrossFit Games Champion (2015, 2016), earning the title Fittest Woman on Earth. Davidsdottir, with the unwavering support of her family, especially her beloved grandparents, and a tight community of fellow competitors, was able to overcome self-doubt and experience mental and physical growth with each competition. She describes that process here, while sharing a window into Icelandic culture and the CrossFit phenomenon.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)