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Start Your Engines: My Unstoppable CrossFit Journey
Brought to you by Penguin.
You don’t get biceps like Briggs by giving up when the going gets tough....
CrossFit superstar Sam Briggs, a.k.a. ‘The Engine’, is a true hero in the sport, with a level of endurance unparalleled in the game. This is the story of how she got to the top and battled with everything she had to stay there.
Sam’s memoir takes in the whole story, from being kicked out of ballet lessons as a child but being accepted on the boys’ sports teams, to working as a firefighter in West Yorkshire for 10 years, tackling dangerous and adrenaline-fueled situations on a daily basis and to taking up CrossFit at the comparatively ancient age of 27. Sam tells of what it took to become champion a mere three years later and after a year out with a broken patella. Despite the numerous setbacks and debilitating injuries that have plagued her in the years that followed, when most other athletes would have thrown in the towel, Sam has fought and continues to fight, to be the very best that she can be.
Start Your Engines is the story of how, with a combination of grit, training and dogged motivation, it’s never too late to achieve your dreams.
You don’t get biceps like Briggs by giving up when the going gets tough....
CrossFit superstar Sam Briggs, a.k.a. ‘The Engine’, is a true hero in the sport, with a level of endurance unparalleled in the game. This is the story of how she got to the top and battled with everything she had to stay there.
Sam’s memoir takes in the whole story, from being kicked out of ballet lessons as a child but being accepted on the boys’ sports teams, to working as a firefighter in West Yorkshire for 10 years, tackling dangerous and adrenaline-fueled situations on a daily basis and to taking up CrossFit at the comparatively ancient age of 27. Sam tells of what it took to become champion a mere three years later and after a year out with a broken patella. Despite the numerous setbacks and debilitating injuries that have plagued her in the years that followed, when most other athletes would have thrown in the towel, Sam has fought and continues to fight, to be the very best that she can be.
Start Your Engines is the story of how, with a combination of grit, training and dogged motivation, it’s never too late to achieve your dreams.
Audible Audio
Published April 16, 2020
81 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
April 25, 2020
For anyone even interested in CrossFit or people's journeys through competitive sports, I would highly recommend this book. I really enjoyed this book and it only took me about 2 days to get through it! At times I feel as though successful people write books without much thought, but this was the opposite. I found it really inspiring and enjoyed how the book took us through a journey all the way from childhood until the present day. There were ups and downs, the book was honest and most of all funny. Prior to reading, I thought that this book may be quite serious and potentially dense, but it was such an easy and light hearted read!
February 6, 2022
I have always been impressed by Sam Briggs when watching her compete, I’m even more so now after reading her book.
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April 21, 2020Loved the book. As a Crossfitter myself, it can be hard to identify with these champions. However, Sam tells it like it is from her need for extra sleep to her days as a firefighter. A must read or listen to for this time.
October 10, 2021
A few things:
1) Audiobook. Although the narrator did a good job, I’d have preferred hearing this in Sam Briggs’s own voice. I recently read Katrin D’s similar bio and she read it herself. There’s an audio glitch about halfway though this book where the narrator talks over herself for about 30 seconds. Fortunately that only happened once.
2) I’ve been an athlete for most of my adult life, competing in long distance road running, dressage, jumping, rowing and Olympic weightlifting. I’m no stranger to hard work. And the descriptions of these workouts turned my hair white. But now I feel inspired.
3) I’m twelve years older than Sam Briggs, and I’ve just now made up my mind to stop talking about my age. I got so sick of hearing her go on about how old she was and then I realized that I do exactly the same thing. It’s the same as saying you’re ugly or too short or you hate your hair…pointless. I’ll just have to get over it.
4) Nice to qualify for the XF Games. Good for her!What a pity it was at the end of 2019.
5) I would like to have heard more about Sam’s workouts and nutrition but alas most of this was blow by blow descriptions of the events at different games and injuries…lots and lots of injuries. Which of course is OK if that is the important thing to you as the author, that you want to emphasize.
6) In all this is a generally inspiring and motivating book by someone who was a XF early adopter and persistent champion. I’ll have to read more of this kind of thing.
1) Audiobook. Although the narrator did a good job, I’d have preferred hearing this in Sam Briggs’s own voice. I recently read Katrin D’s similar bio and she read it herself. There’s an audio glitch about halfway though this book where the narrator talks over herself for about 30 seconds. Fortunately that only happened once.
2) I’ve been an athlete for most of my adult life, competing in long distance road running, dressage, jumping, rowing and Olympic weightlifting. I’m no stranger to hard work. And the descriptions of these workouts turned my hair white. But now I feel inspired.
3) I’m twelve years older than Sam Briggs, and I’ve just now made up my mind to stop talking about my age. I got so sick of hearing her go on about how old she was and then I realized that I do exactly the same thing. It’s the same as saying you’re ugly or too short or you hate your hair…pointless. I’ll just have to get over it.
4) Nice to qualify for the XF Games. Good for her!What a pity it was at the end of 2019.
5) I would like to have heard more about Sam’s workouts and nutrition but alas most of this was blow by blow descriptions of the events at different games and injuries…lots and lots of injuries. Which of course is OK if that is the important thing to you as the author, that you want to emphasize.
6) In all this is a generally inspiring and motivating book by someone who was a XF early adopter and persistent champion. I’ll have to read more of this kind of thing.
April 25, 2025
Was really hoping to enjoy this much more than I did 🫤
May 17, 2020
I was really looking forward to getting my hands on this one as Sam Briggs is one of my favourite CrossFit athletes, not only because she’s female, British, strong and has a fantastic engine but she’s also an interesting character who I thought probably had a lot of depth to her story.
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After a slow start I was hooked.
Briggs has been a sport fanatic from her early years, having tried most sports going. Competitiveness is in her blood and she’s a true all rounder, grafter and adrenaline junkie.
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Highly motivated and high achieving person and athlete, you come to understand how much she loves learning and wanted to be the best in whatever she turns her hand to.
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From firefighter to the World’s Fittest - an unexpected, abrupt rise through the Crossfit ranks (finding the sport in 2009, coming 4th in the games in 2011 and winning in 2013). Despite being plagued with injuries, her strong mental attitude always gets her through.
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Not only does this book give you a great insight into Sam Briggs’ story, you get a real feel for the global Crossfit community and its growth over the years. A true sporting legend!
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A must read for anyone who’s into the sport as well as general sports fans.
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After a slow start I was hooked.
Briggs has been a sport fanatic from her early years, having tried most sports going. Competitiveness is in her blood and she’s a true all rounder, grafter and adrenaline junkie.
.
Highly motivated and high achieving person and athlete, you come to understand how much she loves learning and wanted to be the best in whatever she turns her hand to.
————————
From firefighter to the World’s Fittest - an unexpected, abrupt rise through the Crossfit ranks (finding the sport in 2009, coming 4th in the games in 2011 and winning in 2013). Despite being plagued with injuries, her strong mental attitude always gets her through.
————————
Not only does this book give you a great insight into Sam Briggs’ story, you get a real feel for the global Crossfit community and its growth over the years. A true sporting legend!
.
A must read for anyone who’s into the sport as well as general sports fans.
February 15, 2021
Sam Briggs is my all time favorite athlete. I have loved watching her career and reading this and getting a chance to read her perspective on these events and challenges she’s overcome that I’ve watched as a fan was very enjoyable. I love her drive and her honesty. I love how she consistently challenges herself and she was willing to be vulnerable when that is not something she naturally likes to do. As much as she didn’t want to focus on age, I’m glad that she did. She is an inspiration to me as an almost 35 yo myself. While I’m not setting my sights on becoming a crossfit athlete, it is nice to have strong women like her to remind us that even through age “wear and tear” we can still push to be better and take care of ourselves.
April 28, 2020
I bought this audio version because I thought it would motivate me to exercise. It hasn’t. I couldn’t get along with the narrator who made Sam sound like I bit of a wally.
The first half of the story was ok, but after that when it started listing the types of exercises at each cross fit games and weights involved I lost interest. I’ve never watched or done any cross fit myself so I guess this is why I didn’t enjoy the book as much as others might. Sam is clearly a talented athlete but this book/audio just wasn’t the one for me.
The first half of the story was ok, but after that when it started listing the types of exercises at each cross fit games and weights involved I lost interest. I’ve never watched or done any cross fit myself so I guess this is why I didn’t enjoy the book as much as others might. Sam is clearly a talented athlete but this book/audio just wasn’t the one for me.
December 12, 2020
Conventional sports bio by an outstanding athlete who is much more fun to watch competing than to read about. That said, avid Crossfitters and her many fans are apt to enjoy this easy read by "The Engine" from Manchester.
February 4, 2022
As Sam pointed out herself this is the book about a CrossFit athlete from Leeds who likes to train and compete very so often. And trust me she has competed very often in different sports from indoor ballet, though the latter she had to give up. From all the books I read of all CrossFit athletes this one was the longest and most precise, almost like a diary, sometimes with detailed description sometimes not. Obviously diary cannot be objective, but I really enjoyed the sneak pick into Sam Briggs life. And the info about her training schedule was priceless though that was not the main idea of the book.
Totally agree with the CrossFit Queen Tia-Clair Toomey - Sam is the epitome of resilience, a true inspiration. I would add that taking to consideration all the injuries andother obstacles she managet to overcome on her way, she seems to be more than resilient. She is not HUMAN! Strongly recommend!
Totally agree with the CrossFit Queen Tia-Clair Toomey - Sam is the epitome of resilience, a true inspiration. I would add that taking to consideration all the injuries andother obstacles she managet to overcome on her way, she seems to be more than resilient. She is not HUMAN! Strongly recommend!
August 6, 2023
I really enjoyed the first half of the book. Sam’s upbringing is very familiar to me being from the same region of Yorkshire that Sam grew up. When she talks about graduating from her fire-fighting training at the Birkenshaw Fire and Rescue Headquaters I could fondly conjure up its image as I have run the Firefighter’s Five Mile race which starts and finishes at the HQ a number of times and it often attracts some very fast firefighters to take part and prizes are given to the best performing firefighters after the race.
Sam shows her hard work and dedication to her training and why she is so well loved in the CrossFit community. I saw some reviews saying negative things about the audible narrator but I didn’t think she was bad I enjoyed the reading. That being said she does pronounce athlete, “ath-a-lete” but that’s more amusing than annoying.
Sam shows her hard work and dedication to her training and why she is so well loved in the CrossFit community. I saw some reviews saying negative things about the audible narrator but I didn’t think she was bad I enjoyed the reading. That being said she does pronounce athlete, “ath-a-lete” but that’s more amusing than annoying.
September 11, 2021
Sam Briggs is an unbelievable athlete with the ability seemingly to go on forever - the more painful it gets, the stronger she becomes. I find her so inspiring, but I didn’t find her book as interesting as I had hoped. I could have found out about 90% of it by looking up the workouts and her results from the last decade of so of CrossFit Opens and Games. There were some interesting tidbits about her training and her recovery from various injuries, and it was certainly an undemanding read, but I had hoped for more.
December 19, 2025
A great story for car lovers, adventurers, and anyone who is learning what friendship means. Start Your Engines! takes readers on an emotional ride along with the cars as we follow the main character through the ups and downs of this exciting race. He makes choices about what’s worth sacrificing in pursuit of a win and learns about persistence, friendship, and making choices about what really matters. Vibrant colours and dynamic, adorable characters will make this book a re-readable favourite.
February 28, 2021
Really inspiring and motivational.You get caught up in the intensity of the games. Despite knowing what happens at each competition, I found myself reading ferociously to try and find out if Sam makes it. An easy read and some may find it isn't the most brilliantly written, but Sam Briggs is an athlete first and foremost, and for her to write this book and be able to evoke some genuine emotions, is brilliant.
November 10, 2023
I read this because it was new at my library, having never heard of Sam Briggs and not knowing much about CrossFit (I’ve done literally one class). I love biographies and this was an interesting and enjoyable read even with my limited knowledge. Many of the workout details and stats went in one ear and out the other, but her journey and the sports psychology were fascinating and I’m thoroughly glad I read it on a whim. Can recommend.
June 11, 2020
I love this book! It might not be everyone's cup of tea - if one isn't "into" high intensity sports, there may be too many Crossfit competition descriptions. For me, as a 42 year old athlete with more niggles than I can count, Sam has been a huge inspiration and her sportsmanship is legend!
The book also has some very interesting insights into Sam's personal story.
The book also has some very interesting insights into Sam's personal story.
January 7, 2021
I read this via Audible while at work and it was a smooth, informative read. Well thought out and candid. I love Sams go with the flow nature and attitude towards her career while she still pushes forward. I do wish she shared more stories with her fellow crossfitters and more about how she met and fell for her wife. But hey, maybe in the next one.
April 2, 2024
I found the beginning about her background interesting but the later parts were often lists of workout descriptions and competitor names that didn’t mean anything to me as a non-cross fitter. It probably doesn’t help that I listened to the audio book where the narrator’s pronunciation of “athlete” as “ath-a-lete” got progressively more annoying as the book went on.
July 31, 2020
This is a great read if you're a fan of CrossFit! I've followed the sport for the past 5 years so it was fab to learn more about Sam's early life and what brought her to the world of competitive CrossFit.
August 5, 2021
Didn't realise how different Sam's journey into crossfit was compared to other people. I am really loving finding out more about the competitors lives and the ins and outs of their crossfit games journey.
August 30, 2021
A good biography about the transition of a semi talented sportswoman to a true Crossfit legend. This book is about the challenges of a professional athlete, all the highs, lows, good times and bad and what it takes to become one of the fittest women on earth.
#books #crossfit
#books #crossfit
November 28, 2021
I loved this! Sam has always been an inspiration and it was a joy reading through the crossfit games with her commentations. I was particularly happy with her descriptions of how she got back from injuries as it applies to my own situation. Such a motivating read
August 8, 2022
It's entertaining and pretty well-written, but it's probably more interesting to hardcore crossfitters. I skipped all the detailed workout listings because I only had a vague idea about the exercises.
August 5, 2023
Great insight into her career, surprised to hear about the extent of injuries she has had and how she battled through them. Good timing to read this considering she has just gone on to win the age group division in the CrossFit games !! 💪🏻
September 10, 2024
Listened to the Audiobook. The woman who read it had a proper ‘children’s storybook’ tone which I didn’t like and maybe made me enjoy it less. Interesting to hear how Sam got in to CrossFit and her experiences over the years. No surprises.
May 16, 2020
Omg I LOVED this book. But I’m also a big fan of Sam Briggs!! Highly recommend, whether you are into CrossFit or not. She inspires with her tenacity and unwillingness to give up no matter what.
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September 6, 2020Sam Briggs' book was incredibly fun to read. She filled it with her own insights along with humor and points of reference for people involved in CrossFit or not. I highly recommend this to all!
September 22, 2020
A great read, it made me love Sam a little bit more. Who am I kidding, a lot more.
July 27, 2021
Absolutely hilarious, Sam is so humble, self aware and realistic, her approach to goal setting and her training is really refreshing. I absolutely loved this book!
September 21, 2021
Audiobook - wish it was read by Sam Briggs. Love her but probably not enjoyable to those who don’t CrossFit.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews