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Better Great Than Never: Believing It's Possible Is Where Champions Begin
Think of any sport, and Lindsay Shoop played it growing up. She was a driven athlete, good student, and happy teenager. But when she went to college, everything changed. She quit basketball, gained weight, and skipped classes. Her drive was gone.After a sleepless night and a fateful turn of events, Lindsay made the decision to become her best self. She discovered rowing, and the sport became her outlet for transformation. In just one year she became an NCAA Division-I All-American; in four, she broke a world record and won her first World Championship. Within six years, Lindsay won Olympic gold.In Better Great Than Never, Lindsay shows you how to seize your full potential by removing self-imposed limitations. She demonstrates how to embrace every step, good and bad, to find greatness. For Lindsay, life isn’t about winning. As long as you learn throughout your journey, you can never lose.
390 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 17, 2020
30 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 12, 2023
It's interesting writing a review for a book written by your little sister. I mean, what kind of brother would I be if I didn't say that it was the best book ever, right? Nope. I just wanted to get our connection out in the open, so that I can give an honest review of what I read.
The book is a wonderful read and I ate it up. I read... a lot of books. This one is engaging, incredibly well-written and inspiring. I enjoyed the entire thing, cover to cover.
The book is a wonderful read and I ate it up. I read... a lot of books. This one is engaging, incredibly well-written and inspiring. I enjoyed the entire thing, cover to cover.
November 29, 2020
This book resonates on so many levels for me as a collegiate women's rowing coach. The underlying storyline is a testament to what is possible when you put your head down and work. My team hasn't trained together for almost a year because of covid. This has had ramifications on so many levels. Some athletes have been able to train daily, while others struggle for motivation and feel isolated. I think this book illustrates what is possible and the importance and power of your team and coaches. It's also an extremely well-written book. I would recommend this book to anyone who knows rowing, is new to rowing, or a parent involved with the sport. I'm super proud of Lindsay and her journey. I am very inspired and I want my team to read this book!
February 12, 2023
Better Great Than Never: Believing It's Possible Is Where Champions Begin is a well-written, gripping, and inspiring memoir of a 2008 Olympic champion rower in the women's eight.
Even though the beginning of the book about the author's childhood felt a tad bit too long, once Lindsay Shoop started her rowing journey, I could not stop listening to her incredible story. What a unique opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes into the making of an Olympic Gold Medalist!
I'm so impressed and inspired by all the hard work Lindsay Shoop put in, but even more so by her resilience and relentless optimism. Her story makes me hopeful that there's greatness in every single one of us, we just have to believe in it and put in the work.
Also, Lindsay Shoop is a GREAT storyteller. I felt like I actually got to sit in “Hunter” and row in an Olympic final, too.
Since throughout the book Lindsay Shoop kept saying that she wanted to row at the highest level for as long as possible, I wonder how she finally decided to end her competitive rowing career and why she didn't talk about that decision in her book. This is not a criticism, I'm just genuinely curious :)
Even though the beginning of the book about the author's childhood felt a tad bit too long, once Lindsay Shoop started her rowing journey, I could not stop listening to her incredible story. What a unique opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes into the making of an Olympic Gold Medalist!
I'm so impressed and inspired by all the hard work Lindsay Shoop put in, but even more so by her resilience and relentless optimism. Her story makes me hopeful that there's greatness in every single one of us, we just have to believe in it and put in the work.
Also, Lindsay Shoop is a GREAT storyteller. I felt like I actually got to sit in “Hunter” and row in an Olympic final, too.
Since throughout the book Lindsay Shoop kept saying that she wanted to row at the highest level for as long as possible, I wonder how she finally decided to end her competitive rowing career and why she didn't talk about that decision in her book. This is not a criticism, I'm just genuinely curious :)
November 30, 2020
As someone who started rowing in college as well, this book resonated with me on so many levels. Lindsay has an amazing memory and is an incredibly talented storyteller. I couldn't put this book down. HIGHLY recommend and I think SO inspiring. Loved it.
December 1, 2020
Lest #possibility be relegated to youth alone, master storyteller, Lindsay Shoop, stirs the dreams of masters rowers as much as any Olympic wannabes. Chapter after chapter unfurl like scenes from a movie, and we find ourselves in places we’ll never go: “relaxing” at the start line of an international race, rowing alone in a cavernous, cold boathouse over Christmas vacation, sitting with the national volleyball team in Beijing after winning gold medals that hang around their necks. Better Great Than Never is a memoir that motivates.
We see Shoop daring to believe that it’s never too late to row and entering the doors of UVA’s boathouse. We watch her leave the rolling, green hills of Virginia behind and drive up to New Jersey in order to take part in a pre-elite camp on Carnegie Lake. We watch her return after being invited to train with the national team. We see the pink-peach sky as her double slices through the flat water of Mercer Lake on an October evening. We feel the sweat-soaked elation of her rising through the racing hierarchy. We hear roaring crowds in Beijing as Mary Whipple bangs the side of The Hunter to get the team across the finish line first. And always, always, Shoop does this one step at a time, one stroke at a time, one Yes. More. at a time.
The chapters of this book build as her preparation for rowing builds. Not only is this literary nonfiction an excellent primer for rowing and the skills involved in racing, the inside view from Shoop as a “girl in the boat” turns pages as rapidly as Boys in the Boat. From her unassuming beginning of rough-and-tumble play with her brother, she lands in the 2008 Beijing medal ceremony and is awarded her gold medal by her ethereal heroine, Anita DeFrantz.
The process of becoming an Olympian is repetitive: row, eat, nap, eat, work, row, eat, sleep. Shoop tells story after story of her progression: the work and the risk, the wins and the weariness, and the team, always the team. Her teams and their coaches sharpen her best, intensify their trust in each other, and steer them toward a willingness to sacrifice for each other in order to win. We taste Shoop’s determination that is tempered by doubt but never daunted by it. Still, Shoop is straightforward about the times of being awkward and self-conscious, having doubts and being intimidated, dealing with her own insecurities and fears. This honesty welcomes us into her story, then into ours.
In becoming an Olympian, Shoop recognizes her ultimate gift. This involves stepping off the medal stand and toward us. She comes to the reader with the belief that possibility lives within each of us. Her gift is to help us find our right outlet and use time itself to rebuild ourselves and our confidence. Her story teaches us to use every step, every moment, every action to prepare for meeting our goals. Living into possibility always involves changing our minds, then going where we want to go and embracing that challenge despite its uncertainty. This extraordinary patience to let each motion be enough, and the best, and worthy of building upon, well, it is Olympian.
Shoop awakens a willingness to commit again to our long-held hopes, even when we’ve already had to adjust for the way that change pours into our lives. For every one of us, wannabe Olympians or masters rowers or people wanting to be fully alive, her story stirs up the story that we are writing about ourselves. She inspires us to see clearly the possibilities within each of us, and take actions, and be part of a team in order to live into them. It’s almost ridiculous to believe “It’s never too late” at my age, but then, too late for what? When “motion is lotion” and “use it or lose it” become meaningful mantras, so does “better great than never.”
We see Shoop daring to believe that it’s never too late to row and entering the doors of UVA’s boathouse. We watch her leave the rolling, green hills of Virginia behind and drive up to New Jersey in order to take part in a pre-elite camp on Carnegie Lake. We watch her return after being invited to train with the national team. We see the pink-peach sky as her double slices through the flat water of Mercer Lake on an October evening. We feel the sweat-soaked elation of her rising through the racing hierarchy. We hear roaring crowds in Beijing as Mary Whipple bangs the side of The Hunter to get the team across the finish line first. And always, always, Shoop does this one step at a time, one stroke at a time, one Yes. More. at a time.
The chapters of this book build as her preparation for rowing builds. Not only is this literary nonfiction an excellent primer for rowing and the skills involved in racing, the inside view from Shoop as a “girl in the boat” turns pages as rapidly as Boys in the Boat. From her unassuming beginning of rough-and-tumble play with her brother, she lands in the 2008 Beijing medal ceremony and is awarded her gold medal by her ethereal heroine, Anita DeFrantz.
The process of becoming an Olympian is repetitive: row, eat, nap, eat, work, row, eat, sleep. Shoop tells story after story of her progression: the work and the risk, the wins and the weariness, and the team, always the team. Her teams and their coaches sharpen her best, intensify their trust in each other, and steer them toward a willingness to sacrifice for each other in order to win. We taste Shoop’s determination that is tempered by doubt but never daunted by it. Still, Shoop is straightforward about the times of being awkward and self-conscious, having doubts and being intimidated, dealing with her own insecurities and fears. This honesty welcomes us into her story, then into ours.
In becoming an Olympian, Shoop recognizes her ultimate gift. This involves stepping off the medal stand and toward us. She comes to the reader with the belief that possibility lives within each of us. Her gift is to help us find our right outlet and use time itself to rebuild ourselves and our confidence. Her story teaches us to use every step, every moment, every action to prepare for meeting our goals. Living into possibility always involves changing our minds, then going where we want to go and embracing that challenge despite its uncertainty. This extraordinary patience to let each motion be enough, and the best, and worthy of building upon, well, it is Olympian.
Shoop awakens a willingness to commit again to our long-held hopes, even when we’ve already had to adjust for the way that change pours into our lives. For every one of us, wannabe Olympians or masters rowers or people wanting to be fully alive, her story stirs up the story that we are writing about ourselves. She inspires us to see clearly the possibilities within each of us, and take actions, and be part of a team in order to live into them. It’s almost ridiculous to believe “It’s never too late” at my age, but then, too late for what? When “motion is lotion” and “use it or lose it” become meaningful mantras, so does “better great than never.”
December 26, 2020
Lindsey highlights the unglamorous and deeply fulfilling path of pursuing sport at the highest level. She lives out the example that following that which is most inherently fulfilling, accepting challenges, and giving one’s all, lead a person to become the best version of themselves. Her example can remind each reader that this ability to discern and follow through on inherent fulfillment exists within themselves. Rowing is the medium for this pursuit for Lindsay.
Better Great Than Never captures both the influences in Lindsay’s life, and the day to day of her pursuit: motivation, training, and competing. I was personally interested in the subtle sports psychology woven throughout. For example, for several practices, races at the World Cups and World Championships, and Olympic Games, Lindsay unveils what phrases she used to help cue performance. Lindsay was a critical rower in building a strong winning tradition in US women's rowing. Rowing is the ultimate team sport, but requires almost unfathomable amounts of individual will, gusts, and drive. She makes that all accessible as she explores and highlights the spheres of influence and impact of teammates, family, and coaches that are often left out of the classic "I did it myself" narrative. And yet, she did so much herself. Lindsey came to the sport late in life, and also comes from a rural background. She has an incredible perspective and story.
An accessible and interesting read, I highly recommend it.
Better Great Than Never captures both the influences in Lindsay’s life, and the day to day of her pursuit: motivation, training, and competing. I was personally interested in the subtle sports psychology woven throughout. For example, for several practices, races at the World Cups and World Championships, and Olympic Games, Lindsay unveils what phrases she used to help cue performance. Lindsay was a critical rower in building a strong winning tradition in US women's rowing. Rowing is the ultimate team sport, but requires almost unfathomable amounts of individual will, gusts, and drive. She makes that all accessible as she explores and highlights the spheres of influence and impact of teammates, family, and coaches that are often left out of the classic "I did it myself" narrative. And yet, she did so much herself. Lindsey came to the sport late in life, and also comes from a rural background. She has an incredible perspective and story.
An accessible and interesting read, I highly recommend it.
December 7, 2020
Though a well-rounded athlete in her youth, Lindsay Dare Shoop finds herself directionless and plagued by mediocrity in her third year of college. A chance encounter with the varsity rowing coach, however, sets her life on a path to heights she never previously believed possible—culminating on the top of the podium at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games with a gold medal around her neck. The importance of that moment and Shoop’s relentless tenacity throughout the book make it a good read; but what makes it great is the intimate view of this journey through her eyes. She possesses great skill at writing about the detailed, often vulnerable, thoughts that drove her journey and remind each of us that greatness begins first with belief. This book will inspire athletes and non-athletes alike to examine their own goals and see what limitations on their own potential they might have standing in their way. It’s an invigorating read told by a refreshing and honest narrator.
December 10, 2020
Highly recommend - this is an incredible book about rowing and pursuit of greatness. Lindsay shares a story that few people get to tell: the journey to an Olympic gold medal. And, her story doesn't start until close to the end of college - considered 'old' to reboot athleticism for collegiate sports, never mind start the Olympic journey. Many athletes will identify with her relationship with sport, and how the power of athletic teams can be so grounding and transformative at any age.
Lindsay and I overlapped for one year at UVA, and she is the kind of person you always want around - personable, joyful, determined, welcoming, kind. Only a one-of-a-kind person could have forged this path in rowing, and her humbleness and respect for her teammates sometimes hides this in parts of the story. She really is as great (and more) as she portrays herself.
Lindsay and I overlapped for one year at UVA, and she is the kind of person you always want around - personable, joyful, determined, welcoming, kind. Only a one-of-a-kind person could have forged this path in rowing, and her humbleness and respect for her teammates sometimes hides this in parts of the story. She really is as great (and more) as she portrays herself.
December 6, 2020
Shoop writes with ease and provides a sheer amount of details that paints a comprehensive picture of her journey. As a rower it’s inspiring to read the hard work she put in.
I read this book in 24 hours. It got me out of my funks and inspired me to train for whatever 2021 brings. Shoops’s persistence and discipline are inspiring and infectious. There are so many truths and lessons shared that are applicable beyond rowing. I’ve been recommending it to friends who have young daughters starting their sporting careers. I loved every word!
I read this book in 24 hours. It got me out of my funks and inspired me to train for whatever 2021 brings. Shoops’s persistence and discipline are inspiring and infectious. There are so many truths and lessons shared that are applicable beyond rowing. I’ve been recommending it to friends who have young daughters starting their sporting careers. I loved every word!
December 7, 2020
Excellent read, inspiring story
I could barely put this book down in the 2 days it took me to read it. Lindsay’s story about reaching the absolute pinnacle of sport is very inspiring and full of tension even knowing the outcome. Athletes and former athletes should definitely read this book, but so should anyone who’s ever felt stuck in their life or a bit aimless. In other words, everybody should read this book.
I could barely put this book down in the 2 days it took me to read it. Lindsay’s story about reaching the absolute pinnacle of sport is very inspiring and full of tension even knowing the outcome. Athletes and former athletes should definitely read this book, but so should anyone who’s ever felt stuck in their life or a bit aimless. In other words, everybody should read this book.
January 17, 2021
This is an amazing detailed insider look into what it took to go from complete novice to Olympic gold medalist, from the point of view of an incredibly level headed, cheerful hard worker who has a knack for description. There's many great lessons shared here, and I would dare say that anyone who reads this will feel empowered that they too can recognise where that same approach might realise some goals for themselves.
March 20, 2021
I was captured by many different elements of Lindsay’s story - her willingness to challenge herself, the sacrifice and determination it takes to pursue the dream of being a world-class athlete, and her focus on being a great teammate throughout her journey to the top of the Olympic podium. I had the opportunity to meet Lindsay and knew a bit of her story, and I’m grateful that she has shared the entire story to inspire others to believe that it is possible. A great read!
December 7, 2020
A great book for anyone needing to find the inspiration to stick to the grind and not give up on their path to following their purpose!
February 19, 2021
Amazing Shoop!
A master storyteller; I felt like I was living Lindsay's experiences with her; even the ones when I wasn't actually there! Kevin
A master storyteller; I felt like I was living Lindsay's experiences with her; even the ones when I wasn't actually there! Kevin
February 13, 2025
The story was great but maybe the fact that it was not written by the person who lived it left the told story somewhat shallow and flat. Also, if you are not someone who is interested in rowing, there is a lot of technical vocabulary and sport related details that might not be interesting for someone not in the field, which is why I wish that the emotional story would have taken the lead and been more in depth.
December 15, 2020
An amazing account of such an inspiring story!
I would recommend to anyone who has dreams of achieving big things one day.
An inspiring story of what it takes to be an Olympic champion and what it takes to make it to the highest level.
I would recommend to anyone who has dreams of achieving big things one day.
An inspiring story of what it takes to be an Olympic champion and what it takes to make it to the highest level.
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February 6, 2021This book was amazing! I highlighted inspirational sections as I was reading, and will look back on them when I need a boost.
April 18, 2021
as someone who loves both uva and rowing, it would be unfair if i didn’t also love this book
January 1, 2022
Similar to Boys in the Boat. An athlete’s training history and anecdotes on the way to Olympic Gold
June 13, 2022
A refreshing voice in an overcrowded space. She sticks to a simple, clear story and fully delivers.
August 5, 2024
Brilliant, Inspiring
Top 2 fave books about rowing (the other being The Boys in the Boat.) Shoop gives us the highs and the lows, unstinting in supplying you-are-there detail on the trace line and alone in the UVA boathouse erging over the Xmas holidays.
Rowers will find pro tips how to get faster. Everyone will find a blueprint for self-transformation. Shoop shares the real deal of how to reframe setbacks as opportunities one gritty example at a time. She empowers me, and my friends & teammates too.
If you want something more from life but aren’t sure where to go looking, read this. For Shoop, it was rowing. But you could emulate her method in any domain and find how to be your best self. -K.Berens
Top 2 fave books about rowing (the other being The Boys in the Boat.) Shoop gives us the highs and the lows, unstinting in supplying you-are-there detail on the trace line and alone in the UVA boathouse erging over the Xmas holidays.
Rowers will find pro tips how to get faster. Everyone will find a blueprint for self-transformation. Shoop shares the real deal of how to reframe setbacks as opportunities one gritty example at a time. She empowers me, and my friends & teammates too.
If you want something more from life but aren’t sure where to go looking, read this. For Shoop, it was rowing. But you could emulate her method in any domain and find how to be your best self. -K.Berens
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