Crawl of Fame

September 15, 2018

In 1982, 23-year-old college student Moss competed in her first Ironman Triathlon in Kona, HI. On the cusp of winning, her legs gave out, forcing her to crawl the last 50 feet as her second place competitor passed her to take the win. Moss's now famous determined crawl to the finish line made sports history and put triathlon on the map. The expansive media attention for the now Ironman Hall of Famer Moss's 140.6 mile swim-bike-run race inspired many and brought world-wide attention to the sport. In the three decades that followed, Moss became an iconic endurance athlete, winning several triathlons and returning to Kona multiple times. In 2018, at age 60, she will return again to Kona, with millions of fans watching and cheering for her. With modesty and humor, Moss and writer Yehling (Just Add Water) chronicle her fascinating journey in the sport, including her ups and downs, how she changed the face of Ironman, and how the sport changed her life as well. VERDICT This highly engrossing sports memoir will impress and motivate Moss's fans all over again.--Melissa Keegan, Ela Area P.L., Lake Zurich, IL

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2018
The 1982 Ironman World Championship featured one of sport's most iconic finishes, thanks to ABC's Wide World of Sports coverage of the event, available to view on YouTube. Julie Moss introduced millions to the sport of triathlon as she led the women's field in the grueling endurance event, but, within 50 feet of the finish line, she collapsed multiple times and was barely able to crawl to the finish, only to have her rival cruise by to claim victory. In this moving memoir, Moss describes her life and career, recounting how, when she was a young girl, her father abandoned the family, sparking years of inner turmoil. After the death of her mother and her own divorce, Moss channeled her energy into parenting her only child, but, as she and coauthor Yehling describe in unsparing terms, she remained consumed with self-doubt, only to finally embrace her authentic self, her inner Wonder Woman. A courageous account of dealing with disappointment as an athlete and an individual, and a powerful testament to the importance of not giving up on oneself.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)