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A Life Without Limits: A World Champion's Journey
Chrissie Wellington is the world's No 1 female Ironman triathlete, the current quadruple World Champion and World Record holder. In 2009 she was voted 'Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year' and in 2010 was awarded the MBE. She is the undefeated champion of Triathlon, having won nine Ironman titles from nine races.
Her World Record setting race time of 8:19:13 at Quelle Roth Germany in 2010 slashed over 14 minutes from the previous record and where she was only beaten by six men. Chrissie has displayed unprecedented levels of stamina, strength and competitiveness in becoming Ironman World Champion in only her second event at Ironman level. Her victory in Kona, Hawaii in 2007 finishing in 9:08:45 - five minutes ahead of her nearest rival - was described as the 'biggest upset in Ironman history' and 'a remarkable feat, deemed to be near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships'. She defended her World title in Hawaii in 2008 and again in 2009 and won back her title in 2011 after having to withdraw from the 2010 race due to illness.
This is the remarkable story of how a Norfolk girl - a 'sporty kid, swimming, playing hockey, running, but never excelling and always more interested in the social side of the sports scene' - became a world champion.
Her World Record setting race time of 8:19:13 at Quelle Roth Germany in 2010 slashed over 14 minutes from the previous record and where she was only beaten by six men. Chrissie has displayed unprecedented levels of stamina, strength and competitiveness in becoming Ironman World Champion in only her second event at Ironman level. Her victory in Kona, Hawaii in 2007 finishing in 9:08:45 - five minutes ahead of her nearest rival - was described as the 'biggest upset in Ironman history' and 'a remarkable feat, deemed to be near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships'. She defended her World title in Hawaii in 2008 and again in 2009 and won back her title in 2011 after having to withdraw from the 2010 race due to illness.
This is the remarkable story of how a Norfolk girl - a 'sporty kid, swimming, playing hockey, running, but never excelling and always more interested in the social side of the sports scene' - became a world champion.
289 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 505 reviews
May 15, 2013
I love Chrissie Wellington's story but I didn't love this book. I felt like she couldn't decide what this book was supposed to be about and who the audience for it is. It was very heavy on childhood details and personal stories and light on details about training and races. I think that the people who would know who she is and buy this book are athletes who actually want to read long descriptions of races and hear lots of details about how she achieved so much in such a short time. That was missing from here. I don't know much about the world of triathlon fans but were they really dying to know about her romance with fellow triathlete Tom Lowe? ? And do we really need to know the details about the people she stayed with when she raced in the Ironman World Championships at Kona? NO! This book read like a long thank you speech at times. And I want to thank Bill and Jane for their wonderful cooking and soft beds...Who cares! I want to know about the races and her strategy and her mental state. She raced and won at Kona four times and in her description of each of the four races, she talks about sculling in the ocean before the swim start. Every time! Is that the only detail she can remember? It just got annoying after a while, like listening to a person telling a story and they're going on and on about things you don't care about. At the beginning of the book, she spends pages and pages talking about how she worked in international development for the British government when she was in her 20s but she didn't feel like she was really making a difference in helping people. Then she never mentions how she has used her position as an Ironman World Champion to work on the causes that were important to her. She has a platform, she has the ear of thousands of people, and...crickets! I still consider Chrissie Wellington to be a phenomenal athlete and an inspiration to all of us middle of the packers but this book was a miss.
March 15, 2013
Chrissie Wellington is a living legend and her achievements are remarkable but she should have employed a ghost writer. I didn't find her story to be as compelling as it should be, we get hardly any insight into her thought process during rough patches in her time as a triathlete. There is no artistic weight in much of this book I felt that the story sort of went from point A to point B without episodes being linked properly. I found her time training under Brett Sutton and her commentary on some of the races she competed in to be the most interesting but a lot of triathletes will buy this looking for tips on how to approach training and will be disappointed. Parts of the book were like an Oscar speech, as if she was thinking 'Oh I better remember to thank everyone who ever did anything ever to help me or else' she added in parts that were like this... ' Jill and Bob really helped me out by letting me stay with them that time and boy do they make a great lasagne. Thanks Jill and Bob! ', Yawn! Stop worrying about being nice and tell the damn story!
December 11, 2014
I'm a bit on the fence with how to rate this one. I'm generously giving it a three. For the first half of the book, I didn't care for the author at all. Her writing is dry and straightforward, nothing engaging. As she writes about this fantastic life she's living, it's all very matter-of-fact. Later in the book, she becomes somewhat more personable and genuine. It feels like she wrote half of the book very unsure of herself as a writer, and in the second half came out of her shell to be real. She is a phenomenal athlete, obviously, so I was stunned over and over by her accomplishments. But I wanted to be inspired by this book. That's why I picked it up, and that never happened. A woman with the experiences such as hers should have a reader in tears with inspiration. Because her skill, natural ability, and extreme drive aren't anything close to a typical human being, she just doesn't seem relatable. I enjoyed the stories about the events she competed in, but nothing else really connected for me.
November 21, 2012
Where do I begin.
It's Chrissie Wellington's memoir. THE Chrissie Wellington. Living triathlon legend, one of the best endurance athletes, male of female, of all time. It's the story of how she 'accidentally' stumbled across the the toughest of all endurance sports, the ironman triathlon and excelled in it. She won the World Ironman title four times, three out of them she won consecutively. She won all 13 titles of all 13 Ironman events she competed in as a pro. She bounced back from flat tires, broken bones, and many other adversities you can list. In short, her life is the stuff of legends (and perhaps, movies).
You know how memoirs can seem very distanced and fairytale-like? This one is far from it. The writing is honest and poignant. You can almost hear her utter the words. They are written in a way that makes you feel like looking into Chrissie's soul. To have the chance to follow her thoughts as she pushed her physical and mental boundaries felt like a privilege. She also puts down her thoughts in a way that is relatable - the book is not cluttered with sports jargon, unlike most sports memoirs I have read, and follows a linear plot that is easy to follow.
Chrissie is widely admired for her physical abilities, but this book testifies to her formidable mental strength. I was in complete awe of her focus and discipline and her ability to rationalize and keep a clear mind in a state of physical deterioration and exhaustion. I think that inspired me the most and is something that I can apply not only to my running (I run recreationally, am a slow runner and struggle with keeping with training) but also to my life.
Biggest take away from the book? Chrissie is known for her big, generous smile. And she swears by smiling as a way of expanding energy unto your work and unto others. So, whatever you do, give your everything and smile :)
It's Chrissie Wellington's memoir. THE Chrissie Wellington. Living triathlon legend, one of the best endurance athletes, male of female, of all time. It's the story of how she 'accidentally' stumbled across the the toughest of all endurance sports, the ironman triathlon and excelled in it. She won the World Ironman title four times, three out of them she won consecutively. She won all 13 titles of all 13 Ironman events she competed in as a pro. She bounced back from flat tires, broken bones, and many other adversities you can list. In short, her life is the stuff of legends (and perhaps, movies).
You know how memoirs can seem very distanced and fairytale-like? This one is far from it. The writing is honest and poignant. You can almost hear her utter the words. They are written in a way that makes you feel like looking into Chrissie's soul. To have the chance to follow her thoughts as she pushed her physical and mental boundaries felt like a privilege. She also puts down her thoughts in a way that is relatable - the book is not cluttered with sports jargon, unlike most sports memoirs I have read, and follows a linear plot that is easy to follow.
Chrissie is widely admired for her physical abilities, but this book testifies to her formidable mental strength. I was in complete awe of her focus and discipline and her ability to rationalize and keep a clear mind in a state of physical deterioration and exhaustion. I think that inspired me the most and is something that I can apply not only to my running (I run recreationally, am a slow runner and struggle with keeping with training) but also to my life.
Biggest take away from the book? Chrissie is known for her big, generous smile. And she swears by smiling as a way of expanding energy unto your work and unto others. So, whatever you do, give your everything and smile :)
May 7, 2020
This woman is amazing!!!
In the foreward, Lance Armstrong talks about getting chicked, which a term used for the rare occasion that a woman can pass the most elite male athletes. Not only is Chrissie an amazing athlete that repeatedly beats women, she also kicks the butt of men that are in amazing shape.
She has a great attitude and is always ready for a challenge.
I try to think about her whenever I'm feeling too lazy to do something.
I think I might have to give this one another read very soon, I have chronic laziness.
In the foreward, Lance Armstrong talks about getting chicked, which a term used for the rare occasion that a woman can pass the most elite male athletes. Not only is Chrissie an amazing athlete that repeatedly beats women, she also kicks the butt of men that are in amazing shape.
She has a great attitude and is always ready for a challenge.
I try to think about her whenever I'm feeling too lazy to do something.
I think I might have to give this one another read very soon, I have chronic laziness.
September 27, 2012
Have you ever been "chicked?" That being a male in a bike, run, swim, triathalon..whatever type of race being beaten by a female (or chick). I've been chicked in every race I've entered..but have come close in a 1/2 marathon only being chicked once in the last 3 miles..and if I had not been wearing my minimalist shoes I might have beaten her.
Chrissie Wellington would "chick" me every single time. Chrissie came from a clumsy childhood, to social work into Nepal, to suffering with Bulemia and Anorexia, to finding she liked running (and running her first marathon in 3:05), to becoming the winner of the IRONMAN Kona World Championships in 2007,2008,2009,2011.
What perhaps is more amazing about Chrissie is how close she is closing the gap between her male competitors. In Ironman South Africa 2011 she came in 8th overall and had the fastest maraton split (uner 2:45) for any male or female competitor. Beyond that she always competes with a smile on her face..and remains hours after her finish (just over 8 hours) to place a medal on the amateurs at the finish line 7 hours later.
Her competitive drive and ability to withstand pain is enormous. She must be the fittest woman on the planet. She now lives in Boulder, Colorado with her Ironman husband and is focusing on marathon running (getting her times down to 2:20 or something).
Chrissie Wellington would "chick" me every single time. Chrissie came from a clumsy childhood, to social work into Nepal, to suffering with Bulemia and Anorexia, to finding she liked running (and running her first marathon in 3:05), to becoming the winner of the IRONMAN Kona World Championships in 2007,2008,2009,2011.
What perhaps is more amazing about Chrissie is how close she is closing the gap between her male competitors. In Ironman South Africa 2011 she came in 8th overall and had the fastest maraton split (uner 2:45) for any male or female competitor. Beyond that she always competes with a smile on her face..and remains hours after her finish (just over 8 hours) to place a medal on the amateurs at the finish line 7 hours later.
Her competitive drive and ability to withstand pain is enormous. She must be the fittest woman on the planet. She now lives in Boulder, Colorado with her Ironman husband and is focusing on marathon running (getting her times down to 2:20 or something).
May 2, 2020
I made a note to read up on Chrissie Wellington after first coming across her in the Sports Gene by David Epstein. Quite aside from her athletic feats, you can’t help but come away with an admiration for her endless spirit of adventure, the authenticity of her friendships and the richness and variety of her life experience, even before setting out to be a professional ironwoman.
April 13, 2014
The legend goes like this. In 2007 at the ripe old age of 30, Chrissie Wellington came out of nowhere to win the Ironman World Championship. Chrissie went on to win 3 more championships and won all 13 of the iron distance triathlons she entered. She smashed world records and left male pro after male pro in the dust. And after winning her races she'd stick around until midnight, celebrating with age groupers as they crossed the finish line. Who is this woman?!? I had to find out.
So now that I've read her ghost-written autobiography what have I learned?
1. It's nice to read that world champions have off training days and off races too.
2. It seems that many world class endurance athletes struggle with some sort of addiction or something like the bulimia and anorexia that Wellington experienced.
3. I should have named my bike.
4. Wellington didn't exactly come out of nowhere. She busted her ass.
5. Never do a triathlon in China.
6. I need to take my next IM seriously, which means pissing myself during the bike.
So now that I've read her ghost-written autobiography what have I learned?
1. It's nice to read that world champions have off training days and off races too.
2. It seems that many world class endurance athletes struggle with some sort of addiction or something like the bulimia and anorexia that Wellington experienced.
3. I should have named my bike.
4. Wellington didn't exactly come out of nowhere. She busted her ass.
5. Never do a triathlon in China.
6. I need to take my next IM seriously, which means pissing myself during the bike.
June 26, 2013
Can we have an inspiring woman who isn't driven by anorexia/bulimia and insecurity issues? Apparently not.
May 28, 2014
inspirational and motivational story
April 6, 2021
Wouldn't typically read a sports autobiography, but probably the most inspiring book I've read in terms of sporting achievement.
March 18, 2023
Fascinating life of one of the top endurance athletes ever. A varied life not only iron man achievements but many travels that are inspiring. She never comes across as arrogant or someone who never has done anything else than their sport.
July 21, 2017
Considered within the category of "inspiring memoirs by athletes," this definitely ranks among the best. (Unsurprising, considering that it is written by a woman who is admittedly driven to be "the best at everything.") Chrissie's story of Muppet-to-World Champion is made believable and even, to some degree, relatable, by the self-reflective nature of her writing. It was an excellent choice for her to have written the book autobiographically, rather than allowing someone else--even someone who is a better storyteller--to tell her story for her. The pictures are an ideal companion to the narration (although I sincerely wish there were more of them, since her life goes through so many stages that remain visually undocumented), and the story begins and ends exactly where it needs to. Chrissie picked a perfection point in life to write this book.
All of this being said, I must admit that I am not the ideal reviewer for this book. As an amateur, even beginner triathlete, I know enough about the sport to recognize some elements Chrissie left out of her story, but not enough to give an ideal critique of the elements she did share. I will express my displeasure at her neglecting to mention the crucial elements of "form" in her "The Life of a Triathlete" chapter, where she details her weekly schedule, how not to recover from an injury, and other how-to pieces of advice and information that are of particular interest to triathletes. When she describes her races, she often mentions the points at which her form "breaks down" due to fatigue, pain, etc., but she never mentions the steps she and/or her coaches took to develop that form in the first place. If she is going to spend any part of the book telling athletes what to do or not do, I think advising them to learn proper form is one essential part that she left out. (And again, I must admit this is a do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do sort of criticism, because I do not spend nearly enough time developing my own form in swimming/running/biking! But then again, I'm also not attempting ironman distances, either.)
Also, while I deeply admire the raw talent and determination that earned her entry to the elite level of triathlon in the first place, I am skeptical of her sparse account of acquiring her first bike and any/all issues she had with learning to use it. From everything I have learned about cycling, fit is a crucial component, and simply "going out and picking up a second-hand bike" strikes me as a very risky and inadvisable way to go about entering the sport. I speak from experience here, because I am still pounding out on a bike that doesn't fit me ideally, and I'm paying the price for it with "niggles," sore body parts, and numb feet. And that's not even riding more than 40 miles at a clip!
Lastly, while I personally find Chrissie's to be a very inspiring story, it's hard for me to tell whether it would be equally inspiring to someone who doesn't train or compete in the sport of triathlon. I read Andre Agassi's memoir Open with unbridled fascination, having picked up a tennis racket only a handful of times in my entire life. I'm not sure if a non-triathlete would read Chrissie's memoir with equal interest or enthusiasm. But that does not stop it from being a wonderful, uplifting, well told story.
Now it's time for me to go out and do a brick workout before I lose my motivation!
August 14, 2013
I loved this book! It's not the most well-written book in the world but that didn't matter. If you are a lover of endurance sports (especially marathon and triathlon), you'll disregard the little things and envelop the larger picture of Chrissie's amazing accomplishments as an athlete.
You'd think once you've broke your own world record a couple times over -- that's good enough -- right? Not for Chrissie. It's about constantly being better, challenging yourself, pulling out each win from the depths of your soul. It's nearly unbelievable how she battles injury, illness and doubt and still comes out winning nearly every race she does.
FULL REVIEW HERE: http://www.sweetlifeericka.com/2013/0...
You'd think once you've broke your own world record a couple times over -- that's good enough -- right? Not for Chrissie. It's about constantly being better, challenging yourself, pulling out each win from the depths of your soul. It's nearly unbelievable how she battles injury, illness and doubt and still comes out winning nearly every race she does.
FULL REVIEW HERE: http://www.sweetlifeericka.com/2013/0...
April 23, 2015
Uzrakstīts interesanti un ļoti, ļoti godīg. Patika, ka nav slēps - sāp visiem, par sevi šaubās visi, neviens nav pārcilvēks. Tikko piedzīvotās pieredzas dēļ (Istra) ļoti patika "You can never reach perfection. Your ambition should be directed towards your ability to overcome imperfectio". Labākas sniegums nav tas, kur viss ir lieliski, labākais ir tas, kurā vislabāk izdodas sevi pārvarēt.
January 31, 2023
Really enjoyed this book. It was well written and entertaining but the think that makes this book special is the fact that it is empowering and inspiring. Highly recommend it.
May 2, 2018
Qué grandioso libro acabo de disfrutar 🙌🏼💛 la autobiografía de la grandiosa Chrissie Wellington, campeona mundial de Ironman; "una chica normal de Norfolk (una pequeña ciudad de UK), con un gran apetito por la aventura y la voluntad para auto mejorarse"... como ella misma se describe en el libro.
✨
Una de sus lecciones es que no se puede contar con las medidas externas para validar el valor de cada uno. El valor de cada persona es infinito y no tiene que ver con el peso o la apariencia física (quién diría que ella también pasó por desórdenes alimenticios y body image issues); tampoco tiene que ver con el lugar donde naciste o los padres y la gran fortuna que te entregan (ella se especializó en Desarrollo Internacional y vivió en Nepal, Australia, Tailandia; siempre se solidarizó con filipinos y viajó muchas veces pedaleando 🚴🏻♀️ por los Andes en Argentina).
✨
Su historia es realmente hermosa, su propio trabajo interior para aprender a calmarse #HurrySlowly y aprender a seguir a su coach Brett Sutto; su libertad e independencia, la historia de cómo conoció el amor de su pareja Tom; su relación con sus abuelitos y las historias divertidas de ser una chica #nerd o #muppet propensa a tener "incidentes" (en esta parte me siento TAN identificada) 😊😊😊 en fin, all in all, un libro muy bien escrito, que me ha nutrido el alma y me ha llenado de buenas historias la mente. Demasiado bueno y muy recomendado.
✨
Una de sus lecciones es que no se puede contar con las medidas externas para validar el valor de cada uno. El valor de cada persona es infinito y no tiene que ver con el peso o la apariencia física (quién diría que ella también pasó por desórdenes alimenticios y body image issues); tampoco tiene que ver con el lugar donde naciste o los padres y la gran fortuna que te entregan (ella se especializó en Desarrollo Internacional y vivió en Nepal, Australia, Tailandia; siempre se solidarizó con filipinos y viajó muchas veces pedaleando 🚴🏻♀️ por los Andes en Argentina).
✨
Su historia es realmente hermosa, su propio trabajo interior para aprender a calmarse #HurrySlowly y aprender a seguir a su coach Brett Sutto; su libertad e independencia, la historia de cómo conoció el amor de su pareja Tom; su relación con sus abuelitos y las historias divertidas de ser una chica #nerd o #muppet propensa a tener "incidentes" (en esta parte me siento TAN identificada) 😊😊😊 en fin, all in all, un libro muy bien escrito, que me ha nutrido el alma y me ha llenado de buenas historias la mente. Demasiado bueno y muy recomendado.
March 21, 2021
Hmm. I genuinely don’t know what to make of this book. I guess it mostly resembles a biography rather than a sports biography or tips and tricks of the trade (if the latter is what you’re looking for, this isn’t it - bar 1 page summary of her breakfast habits and very high level summary of a “typical” training week. The first half is a biography of a teenager with an eating disorder, and an ambition to excel - or cover up? - her perceived imperfections, with academic excellence. Then follows a few years of career progression in international development, interspersed with travel. Before she discovers running and then triathlons - half way through the book. The second half is a selection of her key competitions - namely the Kona triathlons she won, the Roth Challenges and others. I liked her character - she comes across as a true warrior. Determined and undeterred, sometimes even to her own undoing (eg training soon after injury, pushing through pain to win etc). Her enthusiasm and positive outlook genuinely come across and I liked that. But just seems to be a little disjointed- she spends a long time developing the eating disorder issue, then it is almost magically resolved. The desire to help in less well off regions is there, and she recognises that winning gives her a platform to be able to affect change, yet we don’t get to read where that goes. The audiobook flows easier than the book so if you have the choice, perhaps grab that. Nevertheless, this is a phenomenal person with an incredible story and character!
January 19, 2021
Fascinating journey to follow, plus written in beautiful literature language. This English woman is completely on fire! Very motivating for myself when training in sports disciplines - things don't always go perfectly, it's how you overcome challenges perfectly that define a perfect race.
October 24, 2023
Nice book! First half is her non-triathlon life, triathlon part interested me more :)
Autobiographies can be low on in-depth reflection, as was the case here. Her story was inspiring so that makes up for it.
Autobiographies can be low on in-depth reflection, as was the case here. Her story was inspiring so that makes up for it.
June 8, 2017
This was fantastic & inspiring & motivating. Chrissie's story till now makes me want to RUN ALL THE MILES! That Marathon I want to run one day has upgraded in priority! Will be purchasing this book & re-reading!
October 2, 2019
Limits are internal and broken by constant self-improvement. Keep getting better.
June 15, 2023
A very inspiring read. Not my usual read but it was chosen at my book club. I found Chrissie’s competitiveness at the start a little annoying and frustrating but grew to like her more and more and feel very inspired with the hard work she has put into it! 4/5
Read
September 24, 2019This is a nice book. It teached me live freedom
January 24, 2020
Just boring. Couldn’t finish.
December 26, 2023
Good book, very cool story but i was expecting to feel really inspired and motivated when i finished, but i don’t . Still want to do an ironman though. 👍🏼👍🏼
June 13, 2012
I find Chrissie's book both inspiring... and annoying.
The inspiring parts first: She lives, as the title says, her life without limits. She takes opportunities where she sees them; and is hell-bent on exceeding her own expectations. She shares so much of herself that reading this book almost makes you feel like she is talking to you over a cup of tea while sitting on the couch. I admit, some parts of the book made me uncomfortable - because I saw many similar personality traits within me and I wasn't sure I liked all of them. I can be very hard on myself, especially when I don't meet my own expectations. Her quote "No one should ever be afraid of failing; it's being afraid to give it your all in trying that I urge against. If there is one thing I have learned...it is that our limits may not be where they think they are. And, even when we think we've finally reached them, the next time we go exploring we often find they've moved again" added an interesting dimension to reading the book as that's how I've lived my life living with a "different ability" (severe hearing loss), but I also know I haven't even begun to reach my limits as a (newbie) triathlete. I came around to seeing that these traits are fine, they are what inspires us to push our boundaries beyond what we thought possible.
I'm not surprised she became a triathlete; she has shown determination and tenacity from the time she was a small child. Chrissie partook in athletic adventures all over the world, including biking in the Himalayas. Having been to Nepal, I know that is no easy feat and absolutely not for the faint-hearted, and it takes a bit of a crazy adventurer to do something like that. So while it may seem Chrissie came out of nowhere, she fits right in with the triathlon community - a group full of crazy adventurers. Triathletes are a unique bunch of people, and the more time I spend with other triathletes and my endurance/triathlon team, the more I notice common traits: discipline, hard work, perseverance, and a determination to beat their own expectations. There's also the incredible social atmosphere that takes place at team workouts and races from sprints all the way up to full Ironman competitions. Triathletes at all levels - age group to pros - have had race glitches or anxieties that at least one other person has shared; this provides a bonding experience at a level I've not seen in other sports.
While she calls herself Muppet for all the antics that seem to happen to her at the wrong place and the wrong time - which happens to all of us - she also opened up about her battle with eating disorders, and working with Brett Sutton. Brett picked up on her eating disorder right away, and Chrissie had to deal with it; she was very open about it in the book This is inspiring in of itself; she had a terrible emotional disability, and from what I know from friends who have battled eating disorders, it's a lifelong struggle. I'm uncertain if Chrissie was whining about Brett, or if she appreciated what he did for her, and what he did for her mental toughness training. It certainly seemed like a classic love-hate relationship, and in the end, it paid off when he told her she had nothing to prove to anyone ever again. In any case, her description of mental toughness training and what it takes to hone it is a good lesson for any triathlete. She does have a natural athletic capability that she discovered fairly recently, and has more than excelled at it. She is this close (I believe it's within 5 minutes) to beating the men's record in the marathon portion of the Ironman distance triathlon. You don't get there without sheer mental tenacity.
The only annoyance I had - which frequently popped up in the book - was the constant harping of the need to feel like she's making a difference in the (developing) world. Like Chrissie, I spent a fair amount of time in my 20s and early 30s visiting 3rd world countries, bemoaning the poverty and lack of progress in such areas. In our own ways, we came to the same conclusion that there is a lot of hypocrisy with development organizations and their approaches to helping poorer countries. Simply throwing money and people at them does absolutely nothing if these countries don't want to solve their own problems. Chrissie's constant talk of wanting to do something in seemed a bit contradictory to me; and I didn't care for the political talk. To me, it didn't add anything to the book.
I would've liked to see more on training plans, nutrition, recovery and so on; but overall this was a good read. Chrissie is an excellent athlete and an amazing person, and there is much we all can learn from her; especially the sense of determination, persistence and passion that is required to excel.
The inspiring parts first: She lives, as the title says, her life without limits. She takes opportunities where she sees them; and is hell-bent on exceeding her own expectations. She shares so much of herself that reading this book almost makes you feel like she is talking to you over a cup of tea while sitting on the couch. I admit, some parts of the book made me uncomfortable - because I saw many similar personality traits within me and I wasn't sure I liked all of them. I can be very hard on myself, especially when I don't meet my own expectations. Her quote "No one should ever be afraid of failing; it's being afraid to give it your all in trying that I urge against. If there is one thing I have learned...it is that our limits may not be where they think they are. And, even when we think we've finally reached them, the next time we go exploring we often find they've moved again" added an interesting dimension to reading the book as that's how I've lived my life living with a "different ability" (severe hearing loss), but I also know I haven't even begun to reach my limits as a (newbie) triathlete. I came around to seeing that these traits are fine, they are what inspires us to push our boundaries beyond what we thought possible.
I'm not surprised she became a triathlete; she has shown determination and tenacity from the time she was a small child. Chrissie partook in athletic adventures all over the world, including biking in the Himalayas. Having been to Nepal, I know that is no easy feat and absolutely not for the faint-hearted, and it takes a bit of a crazy adventurer to do something like that. So while it may seem Chrissie came out of nowhere, she fits right in with the triathlon community - a group full of crazy adventurers. Triathletes are a unique bunch of people, and the more time I spend with other triathletes and my endurance/triathlon team, the more I notice common traits: discipline, hard work, perseverance, and a determination to beat their own expectations. There's also the incredible social atmosphere that takes place at team workouts and races from sprints all the way up to full Ironman competitions. Triathletes at all levels - age group to pros - have had race glitches or anxieties that at least one other person has shared; this provides a bonding experience at a level I've not seen in other sports.
While she calls herself Muppet for all the antics that seem to happen to her at the wrong place and the wrong time - which happens to all of us - she also opened up about her battle with eating disorders, and working with Brett Sutton. Brett picked up on her eating disorder right away, and Chrissie had to deal with it; she was very open about it in the book This is inspiring in of itself; she had a terrible emotional disability, and from what I know from friends who have battled eating disorders, it's a lifelong struggle. I'm uncertain if Chrissie was whining about Brett, or if she appreciated what he did for her, and what he did for her mental toughness training. It certainly seemed like a classic love-hate relationship, and in the end, it paid off when he told her she had nothing to prove to anyone ever again. In any case, her description of mental toughness training and what it takes to hone it is a good lesson for any triathlete. She does have a natural athletic capability that she discovered fairly recently, and has more than excelled at it. She is this close (I believe it's within 5 minutes) to beating the men's record in the marathon portion of the Ironman distance triathlon. You don't get there without sheer mental tenacity.
The only annoyance I had - which frequently popped up in the book - was the constant harping of the need to feel like she's making a difference in the (developing) world. Like Chrissie, I spent a fair amount of time in my 20s and early 30s visiting 3rd world countries, bemoaning the poverty and lack of progress in such areas. In our own ways, we came to the same conclusion that there is a lot of hypocrisy with development organizations and their approaches to helping poorer countries. Simply throwing money and people at them does absolutely nothing if these countries don't want to solve their own problems. Chrissie's constant talk of wanting to do something in seemed a bit contradictory to me; and I didn't care for the political talk. To me, it didn't add anything to the book.
I would've liked to see more on training plans, nutrition, recovery and so on; but overall this was a good read. Chrissie is an excellent athlete and an amazing person, and there is much we all can learn from her; especially the sense of determination, persistence and passion that is required to excel.
March 20, 2017
Inspiring. Makes you want to put down that cold beer, drop that cheeseburger and get out and do something
June 23, 2024
Indeed, an incredible life-story of a 4 X Ironman world champion, Chrissy Wellington. I liked the first part of the book describing her earlier years before becoming a pro - it was much more relatable. However, the later part read very much like "I won this and that Ironman, and it wasn't even hard!" (with only a couple of exceptions) with very few if any descriptions of meaningful relationships - other than a very intense and rather weird one with her first coach! She's no doubt an interesting and inspiring figure, but the book is a weird mix of "universal messages" such as "you can do anything if you put your mind to it" while totally ignoring how genetically gifted she is.
February 27, 2023
(4.5). I really enjoyed listening to this as an audiobook. As already mentioned in other comments this is not a book full of tipps to improve your own triathlon training. But that wasn't what I was looking for anyway. there are enough books for that out there. as former triathlete and now endurance cyclist and swimmer, I am simply extremely interested in what brings people to the sport and what is it that makes some of us constantly push our boundaries. all of us have our own stories. (extreme) endurance sport is super individual and has an important mental component. Reading Chrissie's journey was therefore super interesting and I recognised parts of myself and sometimes I recognised some of my friends in her, which was nice and made me smile (or cringe 😂). I liked her honesty and self reflection.
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