Stronger

by Gareth Thomas

In  Stronger,  Gareth shares how he has managed to deal with the adversity life has thrown at him over the years, from his school years to his most recent difficult announcement that he is living with HIV.

Gareth's incredible willingness to expose his deepest emotional frailties as a man and come through even stronger as a result have made him a national hero and a role model for us all. Whether he is confronting the physical challenges of an Iron Man, or the mental resilience needed to be true to who you are, or weighing the medals and trophies he's won alongside the mistakes he's made, Gareth is unwaveringly honest.

An inspirational rallying call,  Stronger  is a vital read for anyone who wants to turn their fear into a strength and to not only survive, but to thrive.

320 pages, Paperback

Published July 14, 2022

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about the authors journey of coming out and living with HIV informative and debunks some of the myths. The book is also very open as well

[Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed Alfie's previous book Prouder and this book carried off from where it left off. Felt like it was an honest account and came from the heart. Not just about coming out or being honest about his HIV diagnosis - this book is about breaking down the barriers of any sort of prejudice and embracing diversity. His love for his parents and partner shine through.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book and it has really helped me to learn more about HIV and challenge my previous assumptions about the condition.
I felt like the first half of the book was about his journey with HIV and I found that really interesting. I did enjoy the second half of the book but it felt a bit muddled and random. I felt that parts of it were encouraging anti-discrimination but it was also a memoir/autobiography talking about his rugby but then combined with a self-help book too.
Overall I did enjoy the book but felt like the first half was stronger and flowed better than the second half.

[Katey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved his first autobiography and love him and what he stands for. But aside from the chapters where he spoke about discovering he is HIV positive and about how the Sun outed his health status to his parents, this book fell flat.

[Rutger Gerrits · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ook eindelijk dit boek afgerond, en wat een boek! Gareth Thomas heeft eerder al een boek uitgebracht over de moeite die hij heeft ervaren tijdens het uit de kast komen terwijl hij in een rugby team speelde (of captain was). Dit boek gaat sterk verder waar hij gebleven is. Onbetwiste legende van het mooiste spelletje ter wereld.

[Calum Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t going to rate this book in terms of numbers as it’s very personal and seems a bit crass. The first 100 or so pages covers his HIV diagnosis then the book seems to cover a range of topics/anecdotes/issues, which are all very interesting and inspiring and illuminating but it seems to lack structure and focus.

A few stories are re-told from his autobiography ‘proud’ which is fine but I’ve recently read that.

I was choked at points, I learned a lot, I didn’t agree with all he said and I questioned things about my own views, which I think good literature should do.

It’s not as good as his book. ‘Proud’ but it is 💯 recommended and will hopefully bring hope and courage to lots of people.

[Joss · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am disappointed in this book. Gareth delves into important topics but he does not actually intimately speak about his own feelings or experiences on how he overcomes his challenges. It is almost like the story has been censored within an inch of it's life.
I would have loved to have known more detail about the mental and physical preparation of his Ironman, his thoughts and how it was received when his HIV diagnosis became public, his continued experiences of Breaking down barriers of sexual orientation etc.

Maybe this book is not written for me and more directed to the rugger heads who idolize him, and is trying to break through to those fans.

Ultimately I find this book lacks depth.

[Glen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely amazing fellow. I’m inspired by the amount of energy and bravery he has shown in a) coming out as gay b) coming out as being HIV positive and c) helping to educate the world to reduce the level of prejudice that exists. Gareth is a shining light and one of the world’s good, good people. 💖💖

[James Flack · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I felt conflicted reading this... I really wanted to know more about the triathlon experience and it just didn't feel there was enough of that for me, but let's be honest, the book wasn't about that specifically.
I am full of admiration for Gareth and how he has finally come to terms with himself and seems so much happier with that, but seeing him endure the doubt over being able to admit who he was and his HIV diagnosis, was in periods quite difficult, and I was only reading it... however my only criticism was I felt it was a bit preachy in places but I can understand why.
He was a great player, one of the finest I've seen but arguably his journey since retirement is what he will be known for more, and quite right.

[Rhys Causon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very positive book in comparison to what I expected it to be like having gone into it knowing it was about Thomas’ HIV diagnosis.

You can tell Thomas is very grateful for the life he has, regardless of how tough it could be, and uses his past to help pass on lessons to many different kinds of people.

[Mat Greener · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequel to proud. This book deals with diagnosed with HIV & doing the Ironman. Through all his experiences he has become a more thoughtful person. After reading this there are probably quite a few areas of misconceptions that people make that are challenged. Still from a personal perspective I would have liked more details about the ironman & SAS who dares wins

[Dave Gilmour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Gareth’s first book Proud but this is so much better and is honest, angry and he has so much love to give! Thanks for everything, Gareth

[Matt Randle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! Thought-provoking and lovely read!