Profiles the gold medalist swimmer, describing her struggles with mild scoliosis and teasing for being a tomboy, the close relationship with her mother, and her dedication to swimming at Stanford University and in the Olympics.

Chronicles the life of Olympic swimmer Jenny Thompson, discussing how she overcame peer pressure to follow her dreams.

Jenny Thompson grew up in a working class New England coastal town with a single mom and three older brothers. As her family struggled to make ends meet, Jenny found a bounty of good fortune and success in the swimming pool. The family folklore maintains that Jenny could swim before she could walk. This water baby went on to win eight Olympic Gold medals as one of the fastest female swimmers in the world. Jenny had to deal with some hardships, including wearing a brace for scoliosis and being teased about being so tall and strong. And she did it with her constant positive outlook and rugged determination to succeed. This story lets the young reader know that being competitive is okay for girls and that dreams really do come true.

Female Olympian and Paralympian Events is a groundbreaking book that examines women’s sports in the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which have long been underappreciated and under-analyzed. The book begins with a brief background on women’s participation in the Olympic Games and their role relative to the International Olympic Committee, then introduces the underlying Gendered Critical Discourse Analysis theory used throughout the book’s analysis before delving into a literature review of female Olympians and Paralympians’ events. It includes a listing of noteworthy “firsts” in the field, followed by individual discussions of twenty-eight Summer and seven Winter events, analyzed according to their historical, rhetorical, and popular cultural representations. Women’s unique role(s) in the various events are discussed, particular athletes and Paralympic events are highlighted, and original tables are also included. At the end of each section, affiliated organizations and resources are included in this invaluable referential volume.

A history of swimming and diving as Olympic events includes short biographies of the stars of the sports, including Johnny Weissmuller, Greg Louganis, and Mark Phelps.

Contains a bibliography of books for young adults that deal with sports and includes over 3,000 titles.