The Good Fight: Boxing, Ballet and Breaking Stereotypes

by Harry Garside

In The Good Fight, Harry Garside, Australia’s ballet dancing boxing star, offers a raw and unfiltered account of his journey through sport, unexpected challenges and personal growth. Harry opens up about his remarkable journey with wit and wisdom, and offers a refreshing perspective on masculinity, sharing his struggles, triumphs, and moments of profound self-discovery.

‘Uh oh, here’s another celebrity wanker with a self-help book telling everyone how to live their lives. Don’t worry. It’s not. I can’t think of anything worse to read, let alone write, so I won’t subject you to that kind of book. That’s not what this is and it’s certainly not what anyone needs right now.’

Having won both gold and bronze medals at the Commonwealth and Tokyo Olympic games respectively and playing a starring role at the 2024 Olympics, Harry is one of Australia’s stand out boxing talents. But this isn’t your stock-standard sporting memoir.

Through personal anecdotes and some touches of his own heartfelt poetry, Garside invites readers to see beyond the stereotypes, offering a nuanced exploration of identity, resilience, failing forward and the pursuit of authenticity. An inspiring and thought-provoking read, The Good Fight is a testament to the power of vulnerability and the beauty of embracing one's true self.

Genres: Biography, Sports, Audiobook

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 31, 2024

Reviews

[Jojo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say this is 50% autobiography and 50% self help. There was a lot of stats and research in here rather than a story about his life. Nothing like any other sport autobiographies I have read before.

[Caddyshack Project · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry, whilst being a strong and fierce competitor has a soft marshmallow side. Breaking down gendered norms and stereotypes, he is not afraid to stick his head out and speak up. An inspiring read and great addition to his motivational speech given after the Paris Olympics.

[Archer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 man, obsessed with him fr

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook 4.5 stars

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Summed Up: Personal Poetry Packed With A Punch

- - -
We've all seen that gut-wrenching moment when Harry Garside's Paris Olympic journey was cut short. It was heartbreaking and left many of us wondering.. Where does he go from here? And more importantly, how does he keep fighting?

Well, I think I can safely say that Harry’s comeback is going to be nothing short of legendary after listening to his latest memoir.

His memoir is part life story, part self-help (even if he insists it’s not), and it's jam packed with golden nuggets on building resilience, facing fears and bouncing back from adversity.

What I loved most? Harry’s commitment to framing all his life decisions in a way that would encourage his younger self, which really hit home. His thoughts on how kids approach life with such wonder, only to lose it over time, were a real eye opener🌟

This book wasn’t just about Harry’s journey in the ring 🥊 it was a reflective tale with wisdom you can actually apply to your own life. While I wouldn’t have minded a little more behind the scenes on his personal life, the spin to focus on self growth and life lessons made this read unexpectedly refreshing.

If you’ve got someone in your life who could use some motivational mentoring (in particular a teenage son) this book is the pick. Bonus points if you go for the audiobook, because while Harry didn’t narrate it, the narrator Rew Hazzard nailed it. 🎧

[Sue Schmelzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fabulous book, I just couldn’t put it down, what an amazing, inspirational young man, such an insight into where he has come from and indeed how he has become such a fabulous role model for everyone to inspire to. Young Harry should be very proud of Older Harry, I know I am.

[Sophie Paterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an interesting person Harry is. I found his stories inspiring. It’s a mature approach to have learnt so much from failure as well as enjoyed his success. It was topical for me to read this as the olympics were on. I enjoyed his stories and life lessons.

[Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks for sharing Harry.
I believe there is something to be learned from every book.
May your book help people access lived experience information to continue breaking down barriers and stigma and helping everyone be their authentic selves.

[Suzie B · Rating 4 out of 5]

An open and raw biography by the famous Australian boxer, Harry Gardside. I have much respect and admiration for Harry for challenging the stereotypes of masculinity and what it means to be a man.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harry sounds like an amazing guy. I loved watching him on It's a celebrity get me out of here. Seems really tuned in to himself. This book was a great read.

[Victoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I really enjoyed listening to Harry, his poems, and the genuine vulnerability in describing his journey. I wish he had stuck to his life story and skipped the extensive self help stuff. I do understand I am not the target audience, and it probably lands better for teenagers and young adults.

[Jay Maree · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved watching Harry on I’m A Celeb so I was really intrigued to see what he would put in his book. It was very clear he put a lot of heart and soul into his book and I think that’s what made it so great. His ability to be so open, vulnerable and unapologetically himself was a really refreshing perspective to learn from.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book wasn’t what I expected - I thought it would be more autobiographical- but it was only partly this and part self-help motivational. Still, I did enjoy it. As someone who follows Harry on social media and enjoys his posts I felt like I already knew he had a soft side and was a deep reflective thinker. This book reinforced that.

[Farrells Bookshop · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harry talks about his life growing up, his boxing career and his perceptions of what it means to be a 'man' and how he lives his life, challenging the stereotype and lives true to himself. Really great messaging and at times really profound with his own self awareness.

Read by Suzie and Sage

[Daniel Headifen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read it in a day because I skimmed through it quick. Quite a bit where 3 sentences could have been 1. The bit where he phoned his mum while at the Reach group I found touching. Wanted more of his CWG and Olympic stories.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️. A most interesting listen. An interesting and unique character Go Boy Harry.

[Steve Piper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly authentic story

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and uplifting read on how to live a more authentic life

[Claire Dowling · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to on Spotify

I was not the target audience for this book but males 16-25 will probably like this.

[Georgia Freer · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Renee Jamieson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Stephen Gallagher · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and easy read

[Shirley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part autobiography, part Harry’s guide to the world, complete with poetry he’s written. Parts were interesting, but could have done without a good portion of the book.

[Kate Astley · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 or 3 ⭐️

It was a good read but it never grabbed my attention fully and I found it a bit confusing to understand. I did love all of the poems that Harry writes though!

[Jenni Briggs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed Harry’s story but I felt it was too much of a self help book. Perhaps he’s too young for a biography yet.

[Sara Croft · Rating 5 out of 5]

In love with Harry Garside!

[Annemarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this is suprising. Firstly, me reading a book by a boxer (one of my least favourite sports just slightly above car racing and rugby league) and, secondly, me giving this book four stars. People who know me will be shocked. I first came across Harry Garside after watching a ring-side interview after he lost his first bout in the Paris Olympics. The sheer vulnerability he revealed opened my heart to him, so, when I saw this book on display at my local library I was curious to learn more about this young boxer. In all honesty, I was not expecting much and I was pleasantly surprised. The man inside the book is raw, authentic, honest and down to earth. There's no airs, no machismo, no ego. He is thoughtful and reflective and deeply in touch with both his body and his emotions. There were some excellent chapters on masculity, stereotypes, social constructions and dealing with criticism. He also has some great stuff to say about leaning into difficult feelings, being self-compassionate and stepping out of one's comfort zone towards the aim of creating a bigger life. This book has taught me alot about not judging a book by its cover and I, for one, will think differently about mulleted boxers from now on.

Thanks to the ACT library service for lending me a copy of this wonderful book.

[Tahlika Carpenter]

Interesting read, love getting to understand Harry more. However there was a lot of stats and facts throughout, wished there was more about his journey.