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Resurface: A Guide to Navigating Life's Biggest Transitions
A toolkit for navigating all of life’s transitions, from a former Olympic diver
Life is nothing other than a series of transitions. Whether you’re graduating from college and trying to decide what’s next, coping with divorce, putting the pieces back together after a death or a diagnosis, moving to a new city, or thinking about leaving one career path for another, these transitions—planned or unplanned—are an inevitable part of life.
But as inevitable as transitions are, they can still be intimidating. You’re venturing from the familiar into the unfamiliar, and that journey is often murky and filled with moments of uncertainty, grief, and self-doubt.
No one knows this better than Cassidy Krug, who in 2012 was an Olympic diver with a shot at the bronze medal. A mistake on her last dive landed her in 7th place, and her lifelong athletic career came to an unremarkable end. After dedicating her life to a single passion and pursuit—diving—Cassidy had to figure out what to do next.
In Resurface, she connects with dozens of others who have experienced major life transitions, discovering fascinating common ground between a Buddhist monk and a queer sex therapist; a recent divorcee and a quadriplegic skydiver; a record-setting marathoner and a salon-owner navigating menopause.
Weaving together her own story with research and interviews with transitioners from all walks of life, Cassidy offers a blueprint for anyone who is going through or considering a major life change. In order to navigate change with grace, you
● Recognize the end
● Honor grief
● Embrace the murk
● Ask for help and seek community
● Connect your dots
● Leave your baggage
● Know when to fold ’em
● Redefine success
● Build your world
● Start over
No matter what transition you may be experiencing, Resurface will give you the tools to navigate the tough parts more easily, and the good parts more joyfully.
Life is nothing other than a series of transitions. Whether you’re graduating from college and trying to decide what’s next, coping with divorce, putting the pieces back together after a death or a diagnosis, moving to a new city, or thinking about leaving one career path for another, these transitions—planned or unplanned—are an inevitable part of life.
But as inevitable as transitions are, they can still be intimidating. You’re venturing from the familiar into the unfamiliar, and that journey is often murky and filled with moments of uncertainty, grief, and self-doubt.
No one knows this better than Cassidy Krug, who in 2012 was an Olympic diver with a shot at the bronze medal. A mistake on her last dive landed her in 7th place, and her lifelong athletic career came to an unremarkable end. After dedicating her life to a single passion and pursuit—diving—Cassidy had to figure out what to do next.
In Resurface, she connects with dozens of others who have experienced major life transitions, discovering fascinating common ground between a Buddhist monk and a queer sex therapist; a recent divorcee and a quadriplegic skydiver; a record-setting marathoner and a salon-owner navigating menopause.
Weaving together her own story with research and interviews with transitioners from all walks of life, Cassidy offers a blueprint for anyone who is going through or considering a major life change. In order to navigate change with grace, you
● Recognize the end
● Honor grief
● Embrace the murk
● Ask for help and seek community
● Connect your dots
● Leave your baggage
● Know when to fold ’em
● Redefine success
● Build your world
● Start over
No matter what transition you may be experiencing, Resurface will give you the tools to navigate the tough parts more easily, and the good parts more joyfully.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published June 10, 2025
30 people are currently reading
392 people want to read
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December 7, 2025
Change is the only constant mama
August 3, 2025
The book is structured into ten phases of transition, each with practical wisdom and a constellation of mini-stories. Highlights include:
The raw ache of “Recognizing the End” through Cassidy’s farewell to diving.The murky unknown explored through stories like Nora’s and a skydiver-turned-quadriplegic adapting to life again. Moments of letting go and redefinition, where people burn old scripts to write new ones—literally and metaphorically.Every chapter is grounded by a principle and uplifted by a person.
At its core, Resurface is about more than just coping—it’s about learning how to move through. And Cassidy doesn’t preach. She listens. Through dozens of rich, intimate stories, we’re reminded that transitions aren’t detours; they are the journey.
The raw ache of “Recognizing the End” through Cassidy’s farewell to diving.The murky unknown explored through stories like Nora’s and a skydiver-turned-quadriplegic adapting to life again. Moments of letting go and redefinition, where people burn old scripts to write new ones—literally and metaphorically.Every chapter is grounded by a principle and uplifted by a person.
At its core, Resurface is about more than just coping—it’s about learning how to move through. And Cassidy doesn’t preach. She listens. Through dozens of rich, intimate stories, we’re reminded that transitions aren’t detours; they are the journey.
July 16, 2025
This is a beautifully written and very approachable “self-help” book that is actually also part memoir and part storytelling about the kind of life transitions that we all face. It’s that old adage - the only constant is change! Cassidy’s book reminds us of that universal truth in a very compelling manner with stories of real life people who have faced very real challenges. She weaves in her own experience along with those stories in a way that provides hope and helpful tips for navigating your own journey. Her writing is humble and filled with humor and also lets you know that you’re not alone on your journey.
The reflections and tools at the end of each chapter offer great ideas for self reflection. I’m excited to come back to those tips and spend time on them. Whether you’re in the midst of a transition now or contemplating future ones, this book is like spending an afternoon with a good friend. Highly recommend!
P.S. In full disclosure, Cassidy IS a good friend and former colleague who worked for me while she trained for the 2012 London Olympics. The fact that I have a personal connection only made this book more enjoyable.
The reflections and tools at the end of each chapter offer great ideas for self reflection. I’m excited to come back to those tips and spend time on them. Whether you’re in the midst of a transition now or contemplating future ones, this book is like spending an afternoon with a good friend. Highly recommend!
P.S. In full disclosure, Cassidy IS a good friend and former colleague who worked for me while she trained for the 2012 London Olympics. The fact that I have a personal connection only made this book more enjoyable.
October 23, 2025
This is a really good hang. Beautifully written. It's partly a memoir of an Olympic diver finding the "what now" of what happens after sports retirement, but is mostly interviews with people experiencing all kinds of shifts in their life. You end the book feeling like you've just been to a great dinner party with really interesting people, and you're all the better for it.
August 3, 2025
What an inspiring book by an inspiring individual. I laughed, I teared up, I straight up bawled, I was inspired, and I learned. Thank you Cassidy for magically weaving together these amazing stories into something we can all enjoy, relate to, and love 🥰💗
September 2, 2025
Wonderful anecdotes and life lessons from Olympian Krug and a diverse cast of inspirational real-life characters sharing their stories of confronting change. Krug is introspective, humble, eloquent and relatable.
July 5, 2025
Some really good advised. Great real life stories of transitions and how people dealt with them. The good and the bad.
October 28, 2025
This hit harder than I expected, a lot of profound life changes happen while you’re too busy to notice. This book was a helpful little guide through some emotional digestion.
July 24, 2025
Equal parts memoir, motivational volume & self-help book, Olympian-turned-author Cassidy Krug makes a rip entry into the literary world with Resurface: A Guide to Navigating Life's Biggest Transitions. Her decision to not limit her exploration of transition to only that of Olympians or professional athletes was truly inspired, both because it makes the advice more relatable to us "normal folk" and it highlights the commonalities that we all experience when going through big life changes. And, while I'm not the type of person to actually do the exercises in a self-help book, I found reading the ones in Resurface> was helpful enough, in that they continued the conversation of how to approach, reframe and navigate change. I can see myself gifting this book to anybody at a crossroads or at the edge of a metaphorical diving platform to let them know that great things await them on the other side.
Read
September 14, 2025In "Resurface: A Guide to Navigating Life’s Biggest Transitions", Cassidy Krug offers a compassionate and deeply personal look at what it means to move through the pivotal shifts that shape our lives. She challenges the assumption that transitions are just rare, dramatic events, like graduating, getting married, or changing careers, and instead paints them as a constant current running through our lives. Change is not a single leap but an ongoing process - often quiet, sometimes chaotic, and rarely linear. Through her own experiences as an Olympic diver facing retirement, and the stories of others navigating major and subtle life changes, Krug provides a roadmap for approaching these in-between moments with more understanding, patience, and courage. The book invites readers to see transitions not as disruptions but as opportunities for renewal and self-discovery.
Krug starts by redefining what a transition really is. While we might expect it to be a clear before-and-after moment, she reminds us that transitions come in many forms. Some are anticipated, like the final day of school or the decision to retire. Others strike without warning, such as a sudden illness, a breakup, or an unexpected job offer. Then there are 'nonevents' - those quiet realizations that something we once hoped for will never come to pass - and 'sleepers,' which are the gradual transformations that only reveal themselves in hindsight. Using examples from athletes, friends, and her own life, Krug shows that no matter how these transitions arrive, they all create a kind of void, an unsettling gap between what was familiar and what lies ahead. This 'liminal space,' as she calls it, can feel disorienting, but it also contains the seeds of growth and possibility.
Her own experience at the London Olympics illustrates this tension. Knowing that her final dive would mark the end of her competitive career didn’t make the shift any easier. Diving had been more than a job; it had been her identity for years, and letting go of that role was like stepping into a new and undefined life. Others she interviews share similar experiences - Ryan, a runner, who slowly realized his body could no longer keep up with elite competition, or Karie, who faced the heartbreak of infertility but eventually celebrated a new kind of future for herself by creating a business and mentoring others. There is also Nora, who faced cancer and found that her transition was not a clean break between sick and well, but an ongoing reorientation to a new normal. These stories emphasize that change is rarely neat and often requires reckoning with grief and confusion before clarity emerges.
One of Krug’s most compelling observations is that every transition leaves behind a kind of 'ghost.' When we leave an identity or role behind - whether it’s a career, a relationship, or a dream - it lingers in our minds, whispering 'what if.' This ghost can lead to grief, and Krug normalizes that grief as an essential part of the process. Rather than rushing to 'get over it,' she encourages readers to sit with the discomfort and let themselves mourn. She reminds us that pain is unavoidable, but suffering is magnified when we fight against what we feel. Through personal anecdotes, including losing her diving career and supporting friends through death and heartbreak, she demonstrates that honoring grief can eventually open the way for renewal.
To help readers move through transitions, Krug introduces a three-step process: retell, rebuild, and reinvent. Retelling involves narrating your own story - writing it out, sharing it with others, or reflecting on it until it makes sense in a new way. This act of storytelling can reveal hidden patterns and lessons. Rebuilding is about integrating the past with the present, choosing which parts of your old identity to carry forward and which to leave behind. Reinventing is the step of actively shaping who you will become next, embracing new possibilities with intention rather than clinging to the past. These steps do not have to follow a strict order; instead, they work like a cycle, gradually transforming how we see ourselves.
Krug also spends time exploring what she calls 'the murk' - the uncomfortable middle ground of transition where we are no longer who we were but not yet who we will be. She encourages readers not to rush through this stage but to allow it to do its work. It is during the murk that we find the raw material for growth. She also highlights the importance of seeking help during this time. Too often, we isolate ourselves out of fear of being seen as weak, when in reality, asking for help can be the bridge that carries us forward. Krug recalls how her aunt’s encouragement and professional connections helped her land thirteen interviews in a single week after she retired from diving - an experience that jumpstarted her transition into a new career path. The lesson: people are often far more willing to help than we assume, and reaching out can transform the trajectory of our lives.
Another critical piece of navigating transitions is learning what to let go of. Krug is candid about the perfectionism she carried over from her athletic career and how it nearly derailed her in her new roles. The intense drive that made her successful as a diver became counterproductive in an office environment where adaptability and collaboration mattered more than flawless performance. She had to learn to embrace 'good enough' and resist the burnout that came from striving for unattainable perfection. Krug also reframes quitting as a healthy, necessary choice rather than a moral failure. She shares the story of Toya, a lawyer who recognized that leaving her job was the first step toward healing from severe depression and eventually building a new, meaningful project to help others. Quitting, Krug argues, can create the space we need to pursue what truly matters.
Throughout the book, Krug challenges readers to question the ladders they are climbing. Are they truly aligned with what they want, or are they simply following expectations? She shares how, despite having a promising career in advertising, she felt pulled toward writing and storytelling. Taking the leap to leave her job was terrifying, but it led her to a path that felt more authentic and fulfilling. Other examples include Katrina, who embraced a nontraditional family role as a 'bonus mom,' and Daya, a trans woman who finally stepped into her true identity after years of living in hiding. These stories reinforce Krug’s message that success does not have to look like anyone else’s definition and that building a meaningful life often requires breaking free from conventional scripts.
Krug closes by reminding readers that there is no final state of stability to reach. Life will continue to shift until its very end, and resisting that fact only creates suffering. She shares the story of Heather, a family friend who, upon learning she had terminal cancer, chose to spend her remaining time not chasing cures or bucket list adventures but focusing on love, family, and presence. For Krug, this was a powerful reminder that acceptance of change - even the ultimate change of death - can bring peace and clarity. She encourages readers to keep moving with life, to embrace the inevitability of change, and to find purpose and joy even in uncertainty.
In conclusion, "Resurface: A Guide to Navigating Life’s Biggest Transitions" is both a guidebook and a companion for anyone standing at a crossroads. Cassidy Krug’s mix of personal narrative, psychological insight, and practical advice helps readers see that transitions are not interruptions but invitations to grow. By grieving what we leave behind, reaching for support, and daring to reinvent ourselves, we can turn life’s messiest moments into opportunities for meaning and connection. The book ultimately argues that we cannot stop life from changing, but we can learn to meet it with open hands, letting each shift shape us into more grounded, authentic, and fully alive versions of ourselves.
Krug starts by redefining what a transition really is. While we might expect it to be a clear before-and-after moment, she reminds us that transitions come in many forms. Some are anticipated, like the final day of school or the decision to retire. Others strike without warning, such as a sudden illness, a breakup, or an unexpected job offer. Then there are 'nonevents' - those quiet realizations that something we once hoped for will never come to pass - and 'sleepers,' which are the gradual transformations that only reveal themselves in hindsight. Using examples from athletes, friends, and her own life, Krug shows that no matter how these transitions arrive, they all create a kind of void, an unsettling gap between what was familiar and what lies ahead. This 'liminal space,' as she calls it, can feel disorienting, but it also contains the seeds of growth and possibility.
Her own experience at the London Olympics illustrates this tension. Knowing that her final dive would mark the end of her competitive career didn’t make the shift any easier. Diving had been more than a job; it had been her identity for years, and letting go of that role was like stepping into a new and undefined life. Others she interviews share similar experiences - Ryan, a runner, who slowly realized his body could no longer keep up with elite competition, or Karie, who faced the heartbreak of infertility but eventually celebrated a new kind of future for herself by creating a business and mentoring others. There is also Nora, who faced cancer and found that her transition was not a clean break between sick and well, but an ongoing reorientation to a new normal. These stories emphasize that change is rarely neat and often requires reckoning with grief and confusion before clarity emerges.
One of Krug’s most compelling observations is that every transition leaves behind a kind of 'ghost.' When we leave an identity or role behind - whether it’s a career, a relationship, or a dream - it lingers in our minds, whispering 'what if.' This ghost can lead to grief, and Krug normalizes that grief as an essential part of the process. Rather than rushing to 'get over it,' she encourages readers to sit with the discomfort and let themselves mourn. She reminds us that pain is unavoidable, but suffering is magnified when we fight against what we feel. Through personal anecdotes, including losing her diving career and supporting friends through death and heartbreak, she demonstrates that honoring grief can eventually open the way for renewal.
To help readers move through transitions, Krug introduces a three-step process: retell, rebuild, and reinvent. Retelling involves narrating your own story - writing it out, sharing it with others, or reflecting on it until it makes sense in a new way. This act of storytelling can reveal hidden patterns and lessons. Rebuilding is about integrating the past with the present, choosing which parts of your old identity to carry forward and which to leave behind. Reinventing is the step of actively shaping who you will become next, embracing new possibilities with intention rather than clinging to the past. These steps do not have to follow a strict order; instead, they work like a cycle, gradually transforming how we see ourselves.
Krug also spends time exploring what she calls 'the murk' - the uncomfortable middle ground of transition where we are no longer who we were but not yet who we will be. She encourages readers not to rush through this stage but to allow it to do its work. It is during the murk that we find the raw material for growth. She also highlights the importance of seeking help during this time. Too often, we isolate ourselves out of fear of being seen as weak, when in reality, asking for help can be the bridge that carries us forward. Krug recalls how her aunt’s encouragement and professional connections helped her land thirteen interviews in a single week after she retired from diving - an experience that jumpstarted her transition into a new career path. The lesson: people are often far more willing to help than we assume, and reaching out can transform the trajectory of our lives.
Another critical piece of navigating transitions is learning what to let go of. Krug is candid about the perfectionism she carried over from her athletic career and how it nearly derailed her in her new roles. The intense drive that made her successful as a diver became counterproductive in an office environment where adaptability and collaboration mattered more than flawless performance. She had to learn to embrace 'good enough' and resist the burnout that came from striving for unattainable perfection. Krug also reframes quitting as a healthy, necessary choice rather than a moral failure. She shares the story of Toya, a lawyer who recognized that leaving her job was the first step toward healing from severe depression and eventually building a new, meaningful project to help others. Quitting, Krug argues, can create the space we need to pursue what truly matters.
Throughout the book, Krug challenges readers to question the ladders they are climbing. Are they truly aligned with what they want, or are they simply following expectations? She shares how, despite having a promising career in advertising, she felt pulled toward writing and storytelling. Taking the leap to leave her job was terrifying, but it led her to a path that felt more authentic and fulfilling. Other examples include Katrina, who embraced a nontraditional family role as a 'bonus mom,' and Daya, a trans woman who finally stepped into her true identity after years of living in hiding. These stories reinforce Krug’s message that success does not have to look like anyone else’s definition and that building a meaningful life often requires breaking free from conventional scripts.
Krug closes by reminding readers that there is no final state of stability to reach. Life will continue to shift until its very end, and resisting that fact only creates suffering. She shares the story of Heather, a family friend who, upon learning she had terminal cancer, chose to spend her remaining time not chasing cures or bucket list adventures but focusing on love, family, and presence. For Krug, this was a powerful reminder that acceptance of change - even the ultimate change of death - can bring peace and clarity. She encourages readers to keep moving with life, to embrace the inevitability of change, and to find purpose and joy even in uncertainty.
In conclusion, "Resurface: A Guide to Navigating Life’s Biggest Transitions" is both a guidebook and a companion for anyone standing at a crossroads. Cassidy Krug’s mix of personal narrative, psychological insight, and practical advice helps readers see that transitions are not interruptions but invitations to grow. By grieving what we leave behind, reaching for support, and daring to reinvent ourselves, we can turn life’s messiest moments into opportunities for meaning and connection. The book ultimately argues that we cannot stop life from changing, but we can learn to meet it with open hands, letting each shift shape us into more grounded, authentic, and fully alive versions of ourselves.
July 27, 2025
This was an epic read from a professional diver. At a critical inflection point in my career and life, this book was a welcome tonic.
June 12, 2025
A beautiful weave of stories, as rich as they are inspirational. Cassidy Krug braids memoir and biography with lessons for our lives with grace, humor, and empathy.
Transitions are as unavoidable as life itself and yet barely get noticed until they’re long past. Resurface provides a view into lives made extraordinary by their relatability with lasting take aways and insight.
I’m sure everyone will have a favorite from the amazing cast of characters- those that constantly teach us and bring us tears no matter how many times we read them. For me, it’s Ryan Hall’s story - how he reclaims his own retirement with simple and powerful rituals gets me every time. Could not recommend more highly!!
Transitions are as unavoidable as life itself and yet barely get noticed until they’re long past. Resurface provides a view into lives made extraordinary by their relatability with lasting take aways and insight.
I’m sure everyone will have a favorite from the amazing cast of characters- those that constantly teach us and bring us tears no matter how many times we read them. For me, it’s Ryan Hall’s story - how he reclaims his own retirement with simple and powerful rituals gets me every time. Could not recommend more highly!!
June 14, 2025
***Listened to Resurface on audiobook - it was beautifully narrated by the author
This book captures the universal struggle we all feel when facing down life’s changes. The author effortlessly blends her own story of retiring as an elite diver and the struggle to find her way in the non-athletic world and workforce with the stories of other individuals from all walks of life who faced life changes both great and small. By not only giving the reader the tools and space to look more closely at how they can manage their own personal life shifts, but also by pulling together the common threads that underpin all of the storytellers tales of change and transition the author allows the reader to feel a sense of community - no matter what curveball life throws at you, you’re not alone.
This book captures the universal struggle we all feel when facing down life’s changes. The author effortlessly blends her own story of retiring as an elite diver and the struggle to find her way in the non-athletic world and workforce with the stories of other individuals from all walks of life who faced life changes both great and small. By not only giving the reader the tools and space to look more closely at how they can manage their own personal life shifts, but also by pulling together the common threads that underpin all of the storytellers tales of change and transition the author allows the reader to feel a sense of community - no matter what curveball life throws at you, you’re not alone.
July 12, 2025
I preordered this book after a big life change, moving cities, and the end of a long-term relationship. Before I even read it, my mom read it twice, she loved it so much. This is such a wonderful balance of comforting stories that make you feel less alone, and actionable ways to address your own transition. I have been recommending it to all of my friends.
June 10, 2025
Some of life's transitions are quiet, and creep up on you slowly — like a progressively deteriorating gait due to a lifetime of inactivity. Other transitions tear the rug from under you, forcing you to deliberately make the next move despite uncertainty. In "Resurface: A Guide to Navigating Life's Biggest Transitions," former Olympic diver Cassidy Krug delivers a transformative masterpiece that redefines how we approach life's inevitable ambiguities, recognizing both the gradual shifts and sudden disruptions that reshape our lives. What makes this book extraordinary is Krug's personal insight that ambiguity isn't a problem to solve but a space to inhabit with grace and curiosity. Drawing from her own jarring transition from Olympic athlete to uncertain post-diving life, along with compelling interviews ranging from Buddhist monks to divorcees to record-setting marathoners, Krug masterfully demonstrates that the murky middle ground between who we were and who we're becoming is where real transformation occurs. "Resurface" is a book about navigating ambiguity — and it is relevant for all of life's gray areas. Her ten-step framework doesn't promise false clarity but instead provides profound tools for "embracing the murk" — teaching readers to find opportunity, growth, and even beauty within uncertainty rather than rushing to escape it. Using the powerful metaphor of diving—that moment of pure uncertainty between leaving the board and entering the water—Krug creates a visceral understanding of what it means to leap into the unknown with trust and commitment. This isn't typical self-help fare; it's a deeply honest, compassionate, and practical guide that acknowledges the multilayered complexity of transition while offering hope and concrete strategies for navigating life's most challenging passages. It is designed to shift uncertainty from obstacle to opportunity. For anyone standing at the precipice of change, "Resurface" is nothing short of essential reading—a book that will fundamentally transform how you navigate life's inevitable ambiguities.
July 19, 2025
Disclosure: I knew Cassidy growing up and spent several years tormenting our high school teachers together. I don't think I would have read this book otherwise, as I typically solely only read fantasy or sci-fi, hardly ever venturing into non-fiction. However, I am so glad I strayed from my comfort zone and took a chance on this book.
Resurface tells the journey of finding one's way after a life-defining moment. For Cassidy, this was going to the Olympics, competing on the world stage, and the aftermath that followed. The way she tells her stories and relates it to people around her, whether also world famous or your average, everyday human being, makes it so easy to draw lines to your own story. Having gone through my own transition recently (packing everything up and moving hundreds of miles away from the only city I've ever known), reading Resurface made me see what I went through and what I'm continuing to go through in a refreshing light. I found that by reading how Cassidy dealt with the hurdles of finding her way through life, I was able to reframe my own experiences, and I'll be able to use this information as I continue this journey called life.
Moments of this book are laugh-out-loud funny; others made me literally shed tears. This book is a roller coaster of emotion, but it's so uplifting and inspiring that I find myself recommending it to everyone I know. Let's face it - all of us have gone through or will go through major milestones in life, and all of us can use all the advice we can get. Highly recommended, I definitely loved this book.
Resurface tells the journey of finding one's way after a life-defining moment. For Cassidy, this was going to the Olympics, competing on the world stage, and the aftermath that followed. The way she tells her stories and relates it to people around her, whether also world famous or your average, everyday human being, makes it so easy to draw lines to your own story. Having gone through my own transition recently (packing everything up and moving hundreds of miles away from the only city I've ever known), reading Resurface made me see what I went through and what I'm continuing to go through in a refreshing light. I found that by reading how Cassidy dealt with the hurdles of finding her way through life, I was able to reframe my own experiences, and I'll be able to use this information as I continue this journey called life.
Moments of this book are laugh-out-loud funny; others made me literally shed tears. This book is a roller coaster of emotion, but it's so uplifting and inspiring that I find myself recommending it to everyone I know. Let's face it - all of us have gone through or will go through major milestones in life, and all of us can use all the advice we can get. Highly recommended, I definitely loved this book.
June 11, 2025
I picked up this book and finished it in one day. Cassidy Krug's writing is that engaging and that thought-provoking. The book is about change, in all its many and varied forms, but it is also part memoir, detailing the author's life and journey to become an Olympic diver and then what came after. I appreciated the beautiful storytelling, both about the author's life and about the lives of those she interviewed. I also love the inclusion of reflective prompts at the end of each chapter. I will be coming back to those because, like many of us, I am going through transition right now and could use the guidance. I think no matter where you are in life, anyone will benefit from reading this book. It was wonderful!
July 26, 2025
This book found me at a very uncertain, murky time in my life, and gave me the strength to move forward with more optimism and faith. So beautifully written and worth the read, no matter where you are at in your own life.
Cassidy shares her journey with such honesty and humility, and surfaces the common threads across what makes each of our journeys and transitions uniquely human. This book was incredibly helpful in thinking about my own path and identity, and I found so much inspiration and solace and reading the stories, challenges and emotional journeys of others.
P.S for any fellow divers, this book will describe your experience in ways you've never been able to put words to. Enjoy :)
Cassidy shares her journey with such honesty and humility, and surfaces the common threads across what makes each of our journeys and transitions uniquely human. This book was incredibly helpful in thinking about my own path and identity, and I found so much inspiration and solace and reading the stories, challenges and emotional journeys of others.
P.S for any fellow divers, this book will describe your experience in ways you've never been able to put words to. Enjoy :)
June 14, 2025
Resurface by Cassidy Krug is a brilliant combination of the types of books I love the most:
Olympian Life Story + Literary Memoir (think Bonnie Tsui Why We Swim) + Erudite Self Help (think Range by David Epstein)
The writing is compelling: there is a sense of suspense that makes this book a page turner. As a reader, I want to learn how Cassidy will come out on the right side of her transition.
The examples go way beyond the Olympics-- bringing in the stories of a fascinating and diverse set of people facing life transitions.
Plus, each chapter has incredibly helpful self-assessments. So, it's a joy to read, plus I learned along the way.
Olympian Life Story + Literary Memoir (think Bonnie Tsui Why We Swim) + Erudite Self Help (think Range by David Epstein)
The writing is compelling: there is a sense of suspense that makes this book a page turner. As a reader, I want to learn how Cassidy will come out on the right side of her transition.
The examples go way beyond the Olympics-- bringing in the stories of a fascinating and diverse set of people facing life transitions.
Plus, each chapter has incredibly helpful self-assessments. So, it's a joy to read, plus I learned along the way.
June 29, 2025
Just finished Resurface and it came at the perfect time! As a hairstylist for almost 30years my body is starting to revolt against the repetitive motion of my days. It’s time for a transition and I’m scared to launch into the abyss of the unknown. Resurface is helping me to reorganize the thoughts of what’s next and be brave enough to execute them. Through the stories Cassidy weaves into her own I have found motivation and “inspiration” (the I word 😀) to start something new and unearth my grit to do so!
Thank You Cassidy Krug for this wonderful guide, I will be reading it again and marking pages!
Thank You Cassidy Krug for this wonderful guide, I will be reading it again and marking pages!
November 17, 2025
Cassidy Krug's final Olympic moment in London as an elite diver did not go the way she'd hoped. In Resurface, she describes how she had to find a way forward after that specific disappointment and after so many years of focused training.
Change, even if it ends up being for the better, is often challenging and overwhelming. I appreciate how, in Resurface, Krug directly addresses these difficulties, not only the transitions that athletes make, but the transitions that so many people are confronting all the time, for example, through divorce, through various types of recoveries, and through career pivots. I think this book will help so many people who find themselves at crossroads.
Change, even if it ends up being for the better, is often challenging and overwhelming. I appreciate how, in Resurface, Krug directly addresses these difficulties, not only the transitions that athletes make, but the transitions that so many people are confronting all the time, for example, through divorce, through various types of recoveries, and through career pivots. I think this book will help so many people who find themselves at crossroads.
June 15, 2025
I loved this book! I found it to be refreshingly practical exploration of how purpose and success are in the eye of the beholder, as well as a guide on how to build support, confidence, and a realistic plan for finding what matters to you. Krug shares stories of friends and strangers who have experienced powerful transitions, some relatable, others simply inspiring. Her writing strikes a nice balance between narrative & self-help, presented with both reverence & tasteful humor.
June 15, 2025
So far, two self-help books have made my "Keep Re-reading List": The Inner Game of Tennis, and Do What You Love.
Resurface by Cassidy Krug is now the third book on my keep re-reading list. Cassidy is a great writer who blends her personal experience with the life change stories of others. The exercises at the end of each chapter are really helpful.
I will recommend this to others who are facing change (as we all do).
Resurface by Cassidy Krug is now the third book on my keep re-reading list. Cassidy is a great writer who blends her personal experience with the life change stories of others. The exercises at the end of each chapter are really helpful.
I will recommend this to others who are facing change (as we all do).
June 13, 2025
Resurface is the kind of self-help book that doesn’t feel like one...in the best way. The real-life interviews made me feel genuinely connected to the people in the book and reminded me I’m not alone in facing big life changes. It’s thoughtful, encouraging, and easy to read. I highly recommend if you're in the middle of a transition or just need a little perspective.
July 3, 2025
A fine synthesis of stories, platitudes, and journal prompts around navigating change. Alas I feel a book focused only on elite athletes and retirement would have been a more interesting and unique addition to the self help/memoir genre.
October 25, 2025
Identified a lot with the author’s experience - diving is an individual sport based on performance in the moment and perfectionism. Similar to clarinet performance. Skimmed the last third - I will return to the summaries at the end of each chapter.
July 19, 2025
Beautifully written book. I fell in love with all the stories from beginning to end. The morals of the stories and lessons learned were both heartwarming and inspiring. Worth the read
July 31, 2025
This is a great book that give you tools to navigate tough parts more easily & good parts more joyfully no matter what transition you may be experiencing.
August 27, 2025
loved this beautiful and timely look at what human transitions can look like and how we can deal with them gracefully and gratefully.
August 17, 2025
Such a great read!
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