What do you think?
Rate this book
Survive & Advance
"Survive and Advance" is a tournament strategy athletes employ to advance through the rounds. Whenever possible, athletes will attempt to advance to the next round without expending too much energy. The theory is that their best performance should come at the championships, in the final round, where the medals and titles are decided. To Tianna Bartoletta, the "Survive and Advance" strategy is effective away from the field of play as well. To her, it means doing whatever is needed to survive life ...moment to moment, to get to tomorrow to fight another day. Tianna is defiance personified. Defiant of gravity, and defiant in the face of adversity. This revealing memoir by 3-time world champion, 2-time Olympian, and 3-time Olympic gold medalist Tianna Bartoletta, chronicles her drive to become an elite athlete and her climb to the top of her game...what you knew about her-and what you didn't-until now. You may think you know what it means to be a champion, but you're about to find out that you had no idea.
372 pages, Paperback
Published June 4, 2021
2 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 18, 2021
At points, while reading, I had to keep reminding myself that a person lived this life. Survive and Advance was not a work of fiction or a Hollywood screenplay; it was, is Tianna Bartoletta's life. I enjoyed learning more about what goes into preparing for track and field events. It is unbelievable that Tianna could perform as she did with the events going on in her relationship.
This book was an easy, page-turning read because of the conversational writing. Some of the subject matter makes it a book that I had to put down at times.
This book was an easy, page-turning read because of the conversational writing. Some of the subject matter makes it a book that I had to put down at times.
June 23, 2021
Amazing book - I picked it up and could not put it down. I had always been a fan of Tianna and followed her athletic journey. Knowing what she has been through all those years now, my admiration for her has only grown. Definition of a strong woman. What a well-written piece it was too. I do not personally know Tianna but I feel so proud of her. Rooting for her this upcoming Olympic Trials.
September 21, 2021
In Survive & Advance, Tianna Bartoletta tells the story of her life in a well written, easy to read way.
People familiar with her blog will find blog-sized chapters, ideal if you want to read that extra chapter before sleeping.
Tianna's early years had their fair share of struggles, problems, successes, breakthroughs and "survive & advance" moments.
But the core of the book starts at the second half of it, with the beginning of her relationship that, without spoiler, will turn into a true survival struggle.
The testimony of this second part gives an extra dimension to the book., making it a tool to all women in a toxic relationship. Despite the toxicity, the isolation, the violence, Tianna managed to survive & advance, and is a living reminder that you can too, however harsh your situation seem to be.
Very courageous book.
Mission accomplished, Tianna.
People familiar with her blog will find blog-sized chapters, ideal if you want to read that extra chapter before sleeping.
Tianna's early years had their fair share of struggles, problems, successes, breakthroughs and "survive & advance" moments.
But the core of the book starts at the second half of it, with the beginning of her relationship that, without spoiler, will turn into a true survival struggle.
The testimony of this second part gives an extra dimension to the book., making it a tool to all women in a toxic relationship. Despite the toxicity, the isolation, the violence, Tianna managed to survive & advance, and is a living reminder that you can too, however harsh your situation seem to be.
Very courageous book.
Mission accomplished, Tianna.
July 11, 2021
Phenomenal writing!! This book should be mandatory reading. It’s an emotional rollercoaster ride that forces both smiles and tears to the reader. It’s read more like a novel than an memoir and even tho this is the life story of an all time great American Olympian, Survive & Advance is so much more than sports. This book will save a life!!
July 15, 2021
Im not one to typically write reviews, but I wanted to write one for this book. I have been following Tianna's journey as a track star for some time and have always admired her. This book left me in awe of her courage and bravery, telling a story of our best moments is easy, telling a story of our ugliest moments is really hard. And u appreciate her vulnerability.
I didn't like that the book ended, it felt rushed at the end but it could be that I just wanted to know more.
I didn't like that the book ended, it felt rushed at the end but it could be that I just wanted to know more.
December 1, 2021
An amazing memoir by an amazing woman. A portrait of strength and resilience in the face of adversity, but not just for the sake of solely being resilient. An intense ride through a conversational writing style, the author takes the reader through the ups and downs of her life as an athlete performing at the highest level of sport despite shocking abuse. Her strength, openness, and vulnerability in sharing her story are an inspiration.
July 6, 2022
After taking a yoga class from Tianna a few weeks ago, I was happy to see she had her book for sale at the event. She and the women who ran the event talked about her Olympic medals and her strength, but I had no idea what she'd gone through. This was kind of a tough book to read - she survived so much - but it was fascinating, leading me to do more research on her. As well as being a world-class athlete, she's a compelling writer.
July 5, 2021
This was a poorly written fictional story from someone who obviously suffers from multiple mental health issues. An obvious attack on her ex. I guess when you destroy your career the best thing to do is write a fictional story that destroys it more. I have 30 days to get my money back, I’ll be returning it.
July 12, 2021
I could not put this book down.Truly a great read. Wow what a journey, and you persevered through it all.Your strength is an inspiration to so many. I highly recommend this book! This book needs to be a movie!
August 13, 2024
Five stars doesn't even seem enough to reflect the courage and strength to tell her story. Tianna is honest even when it doesn't benefit her, demonstrating vulnerability and humility, laying it all out for the reader. If that doesn't show her character and spirit, I dont know what would!
July 5, 2021
Great read! teamtianna.com. It definitely shows whats behind the scenes of an Olympic Champion.
September 8, 2021
This was a tough one to get through because of the seriousness and reality of the content. But very worth it, I am in awe of the person Tianna Bartoletta has shown herself to be.
December 25, 2022
I finished reading "Survive and Advance" by Tianna Bartoletta, now Tianna Tashelle. This autobiography is a captivating story about the life of an Olympic Long Jumper and Sprinter who survives and overcomes her personal internal and external battles. Tianna Bartoletta has lived through challenging experiences with highs and lows in her back-and-forth endeavors to earn Olympic gold. This is a true-to-form autobiography, going back to how she first started out in Track and Field, through her brief collegiate career, and through her professional career.
I learned a lot about the long jump and short sprint competitions by experiencing them through Bartoletta’s words. Reading through and seeing other professional athletes mentioned and connecting back to their accolades when I was growing up was neat.
This book does get into some deep issues and challenges that people face throughout their lives such as domestic abuse and manipulation, body image, suicidal thoughts, depression, alcohol and drug use, estrangement, and the challenges of being a professional athlete with competitions, sponsors, and coaches. If you are up for reading about some of the things women and black women face as well as some of the hard parts of living, I would recommend you read this book.
At times, this was a difficult story to read because of the traumas, abuse, and manipulation experienced by Bartoletta. This book helped show me what goes on in one’s mind when they are metaphorically backed into a corner and feel powerless to escape an abusive relationship/marriage. To an extent, I had an idea of what it meant when someone said a person was self-harming, but I really did not. The life that women of color, especially, young black girls live growing up in America is something I will never be able to fully understand as a white man. Additionally, I was able to gain a better appreciation for sprints and field events in track and field by reading about Tianna Batoletta’s journey through the highs and lows of being a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
I learned a lot about the long jump and short sprint competitions by experiencing them through Bartoletta’s words. Reading through and seeing other professional athletes mentioned and connecting back to their accolades when I was growing up was neat.
This book does get into some deep issues and challenges that people face throughout their lives such as domestic abuse and manipulation, body image, suicidal thoughts, depression, alcohol and drug use, estrangement, and the challenges of being a professional athlete with competitions, sponsors, and coaches. If you are up for reading about some of the things women and black women face as well as some of the hard parts of living, I would recommend you read this book.
At times, this was a difficult story to read because of the traumas, abuse, and manipulation experienced by Bartoletta. This book helped show me what goes on in one’s mind when they are metaphorically backed into a corner and feel powerless to escape an abusive relationship/marriage. To an extent, I had an idea of what it meant when someone said a person was self-harming, but I really did not. The life that women of color, especially, young black girls live growing up in America is something I will never be able to fully understand as a white man. Additionally, I was able to gain a better appreciation for sprints and field events in track and field by reading about Tianna Batoletta’s journey through the highs and lows of being a three-time Olympic gold medalist.
March 13, 2023
This book is the Corvette of books. It has the HP to go from 0 (valley) - 60 (mountain top) in 2.9 seconds and the breaking power to return to 0 in 88 ft. The writing itself provides enough torque to keep you turning pages at a feverish rate. Fasten your seat belt and get ready for a wild ride... err uh read.
If you are human you will like this book. If a track fan too you will love it. If you happen to be from northeast Ohio as well it will be one of your favorites.
If you are human you will like this book. If a track fan too you will love it. If you happen to be from northeast Ohio as well it will be one of your favorites.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews