The Long Program: Skating Toward Life's Victories

by Peggy Fleming

In all of her roles -- athlete, wife, mother, role model, and cancer survivor -- Olympic gold medalist Peggy Fleming has relied upon the discipline she cultivated as a young skater. Now in this intimate memoir, she eloquently reveals her fascinating life story and shares her secrets to serenity and success. In 1968 -- the first year the Olympic Winter Games were televised live and in color -- the nation anxiously watched a teenaged girl in a chartreuse dress deliver a breathtaking free-skating program. Her performance not only captured the United States' only winter gold medal, but a country's collective heart as well. It was our introduction to Peggy Fleming. A young woman who embodied both stunning athleticism and magnificent grace, Peggy Fleming became an instant celebrity. Yet, as this shy and reclusive California tomboy discloses, she was anything but comfortable in the public eye. She was only a gawky twelve-year-old when she began to reenergize the sport after the entire U.S. Figure Skating team -- including Peggy's coach -- was lost in a plane crash. Peggy reveals how she developed an inner strength that allowed her to conquer doubt and fear, and how that strength stayed with her after the Olympics. She also describes how, in the decades that followed, she found great joy and balance in her life -- sharing her knowledge and insight as an on-air analyst for ABC Sports (for eighteen years and counting), and maintaining a long-standing marriage that has given her two delightful sons. But Peggy's toughest challenge came thirty years after she won the gold medal. In 1998, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Here, Peggy candidly details her courageous physical and emotional battle. She also explains how she ultimately prevailed, and why she felt it necessary to become an outspoken, highly visible promoter of breast cancer awareness. Through it all, Peggy always maintained poise, confidence, and her acute sense of self. Demonstrating why these attributes are essential to achieving any goal, she relates how every person's life has its own version of a long program, those precious years that take little girls and turn them into wives, mothers, grandmas, and survivors. And she shows how making a plan and then reacting to the twists and turns of reality is what skating is all about and what life is all about. A compelling memoir that deserves the highest marks, The Long Program is both a portrait of a remarkable woman, and a collection of inspiring lessons on how each of us can be our

Genres: Sports, Biography, Figure Skating, Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography Memoir

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1999

Reviews

[Ryan Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

A revealing memoir from an inspiring skating champion and cancer survivor. Peggy is actually very candid in this book - however if you are hungry for salacious supermarket checkout fare, that's not what you'll find in this book. A very interesting read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jeannie Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes me want to get back on the ice.

[Donna Marie Gentry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very easy and excellent read. I admire Peggy for her strength and determination. I am so glad to have found this book.

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a must own must read for me, remember Peggy Fleming from the 1968 Olymipic Winter Games. Then when I first moved to Los Gatos found out she also lived in Los Gatos hills. I moved here in December of 1996. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1998, thus in the news again a lot. November 13, 1999 She was doing a book signing at the 'Grand Opening' of Borders and downtown Los Gatos University shopping area. My sister Paula was in town and we were able to meet her, and get my book autographed, making it quite a special day's adventure.

The book gave me insight into many things leading up to her winning the Gold medal and Peggy as a poised and remarkable woman.

Side note: While we may live in the same town, We do not run in the same social circle. For a time her hair dresser and personal make-up person was in the same salon of woman I had been introduced to for my first pedicure, Patty. In fact the daughter of the Patty.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a fan of the modern era (born in '69, figure skating started for me with Dorothy Hamill), it is of some interest to me to read about a previous generation of the sport. Because Peggy's rise coincided with the popularity of sports on television, she was the first American star of the sport -- apologies to AWESOME Tenley Albright and AMAZING Carol Heiss Jenkins.

Peggy is an icon in the sport I love, I only wish her storytelling were more interesting. Bless her for being fortunate - loving family, good marriage, lovely kids, personal and professional success, glamour and money - but I wonder if her book would have been more interesting had she put a better spin on it. Her introduction of a more balletic style. Her inner drive. Her artistic style. Something.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I was a little girl, I repeatedly checked out a book from the library in my town that had short biographies of figure skaters. I don't know how many times I read Carole Heiss' and Peggy Fleming's bios! I used to read them and watch TV coverage and dream. Not many places for girls in rural Kansas to skate, however. :-) So I just read and dreamed. This book was not at all exciting, but I did appreciate finding out "the rest of the story" since that book I kept reading was written in the early 70's.

[Jaclynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Peggy’s autobiography of her life and skating career. A really interesting read. I admired her strength and her struggle to find her identity of who God made her to be. Something else admirable was how she didn’t let the fame of winning the Olympics go to her head and she stayed on a straight path through out her life including having a wonderful marriage to the same man for 25+ years and raising 2 children together.

[Surreysmum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takes a longer view than most skaters' biographies, not having been written in the immediate aftermath of Fleming's skating victories, but instead after she parlayed those victories into a highly successful and visible career in pro skating and broadcasting. These somewhat more interesting biographies of "senior skaters" were one of the more beneficial side-effects of the skating boom of the mid-90s.

[Lennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I was very young when Peggy Fleming captured the gold medal at the Olympics in 1968, I truly admire her artistic skating talent and the way she was graceful on the ice. Some of the discipline that she developed when she trained as an athlete, helped her later on in life when she battled cancer. This was an excellent memoir!

[Valerie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit dated now, but an interesting look into the life of Peggy Fleming, focusing on her career as a figure skater and sports commentator. However, the epilogue about fitness and nutrition comes across as preachy and diminishes the book for me.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

read for obvious reasons:-) It's even autographed - to Peggy Fleming from Peggy Fleming. Interesting life story, slightly slow-paced.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobiography of figure skate Peggy Fleming. Beautiful, touching, encouraging and motivating. She went through so much in her life and she's so strong because of it all.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skater biography no. 2! Interesting...she is very dry and matter of fact--not necessarily an "entertaining" read. It was kind of slow going--but fascinating. That's all, really.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I probably liked this book so much because she is one of my favorite famous people.