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Unforgiving: Lessons from the Fall – An Olympic Athlete's Journey from One Devastating Mistake to Redemption and Gold
In this deeply personal memoir in the vein of Andre Agassi's Open and Megan Rapinoe’s One Life , the winningest snowboardcross rider of all time chronicles her career, a story of self-growth that reveals the secret of her resilience and how she overcame crushing early failure to win Olympic gold. On February 16, 2006, twenty-year old American snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis was poised to win the first gold medal in women’s snowboardcross, a sport making its Olympic debut. With a seemingly insurmountable lead over the other competitors, Lindsey only needed a clean run for the gold medal to be hers. But as the five-time world champion entered the last 100 meters the unthinkable choosing to add a little flair to the run, she grabbed the back edge of her board—then lost her balance and fell. It was a mistake that would go down as one of the biggest “unforced errors” in all of sports history. For the next sixteen years, Jacobellis endured the criticism and second-guessing of Olympic commentators, sportswriters, and detractors. Day after day she persevered and trained harder on the snow and with her life coach, learning the power of resilience and what the sport really meant to her. The fierce competitor discovered that life, though it may not seem like it, does happen in just the right you end up precisely where you were meant to be. At the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, Lindsey twice reached the top of the podium, becoming a two-time Olympic gold medalist. Unforgiving recounts Lindsey’s journey from disappointment to triumph. It is an honest account of one life-altering misstep and its aftermath, and a reflection on what it means to come of age as an athlete in the spotlight, the weight of expectations, falling short, and ultimately fulfilling your dreams. Unforgiving is about the purpose-driven, forward-looking attitude Lindsey took on after her fall, when looking back wouldn’t have done anyone any favors. It’s about the pass she refused to grant herself until she’d earned it. Unforgiving is about the commitment to seek her own truth—and to speak up on one’s own behalf after letting others do it for years. Forgiveness, in the end, is at the heart of Lindsey’s story, but underneath and alongside is its polar opposite—an unending, uncompromising determination to push herself, to prove herself, to power past every obstacle in her path, even those of her own making.
- GenresSportsNonfictionMemoir
240 pages, Hardcover
Published October 17, 2023
12 people are currently reading
1494 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
February 12, 2024
This hit so close to home
🏂first things first, I think this is the first ever memoir ive ever read (And don’t even look how long it took me to read🤣😭)
I love Lindsey, I love her story, we have the same upbringing, skiing on the weekends and I even grew up (and still go) to the same mountain as her.
❄️It was so inspiring, there were so many highs and lows and she’s SO strong for all of it.
Why is it not 5 stars? As this is a memoir and not a biography, the book events were a little sparatic, but that might just be a me thing because I prefer things in chronological order.
WHO WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS TO?
🏂⛷️skiers and snowboarders or people who grew up in the north east of the us and know the culture, or people just interested in a resilient olympians story
⭐️I actually got to meet Lindsey at her book signing about a week before and she was just the sweetest person so ty <3333
🏂first things first, I think this is the first ever memoir ive ever read (And don’t even look how long it took me to read🤣😭)
I love Lindsey, I love her story, we have the same upbringing, skiing on the weekends and I even grew up (and still go) to the same mountain as her.
❄️It was so inspiring, there were so many highs and lows and she’s SO strong for all of it.
Why is it not 5 stars? As this is a memoir and not a biography, the book events were a little sparatic, but that might just be a me thing because I prefer things in chronological order.
WHO WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS TO?
🏂⛷️skiers and snowboarders or people who grew up in the north east of the us and know the culture, or people just interested in a resilient olympians story
⭐️I actually got to meet Lindsey at her book signing about a week before and she was just the sweetest person so ty <3333
August 15, 2025
I enjoyed this book - Lindsey did a very good job of relating her story in a manner that makes it clear how hard it is to carry so much hope and expectation - especially at such a young age. Having one mistake - made in an instant - follow you around in the media for the rest of your life is not only unfair to such a talented and hard working athlete - it misrepresents the rest of her life and accomplishments. Unfortunately that is how many "fans" (the non-participating public) like to get news and stories - short and woefully inaccurate. Definitely worth a read and it brought back how happy I felt watching her win two gold medals at the 2022 winter olympics.
November 30, 2023
I have the utmost respect for those that make the olympics. The commitment and work that goes into that is phenomenal. Mind blowing. I do not have the skill for anything close to that.
So reading about Lindsey’s drive to be the best in the world at snowboardcross is fascinating.
However, the writing and the arrogance just really got to me. A lot of the books felt like she was trying to justify her actions and almost find something to blame for any race that didn’t go her way. And it got to me.
I also was shocked at the end to find out she had a ghost writer because the writing did not do it for me at all. As an athlete and not a writer I figured I would give her some grace for that. But we lost at least half a star when I realized she did indeed have a writer on this.
Thank you so much for the gifted copy Harper Collins in exchange for my honest review
So reading about Lindsey’s drive to be the best in the world at snowboardcross is fascinating.
However, the writing and the arrogance just really got to me. A lot of the books felt like she was trying to justify her actions and almost find something to blame for any race that didn’t go her way. And it got to me.
I also was shocked at the end to find out she had a ghost writer because the writing did not do it for me at all. As an athlete and not a writer I figured I would give her some grace for that. But we lost at least half a star when I realized she did indeed have a writer on this.
Thank you so much for the gifted copy Harper Collins in exchange for my honest review
October 28, 2023
I was pushing myself to get through this.
April 7, 2025
4.5 Stars, which I will round up to 5 stars overall. But, hear me out on that one.
I have read a lot of athletes memoirs, from all different kinds of sports. This is my first snowboarding memoir though, having not even watched it on television before. So, as you can imagine, I had not idea who Lindsey was when I picked up this book. I had to look up some videos of Lindsey on youtube to understand the whole snowboarding side.
To start, I think if you are a fan of Lindsey's or snowboarding in general, you will love this book. Lindsey does a great job of explaining where she came from, and her rise through this sport, which was relatively quick. She talks a lot about her races, especially the Olympic runs, and her various injuries from being a snowboarder her entire life. I think that attention to detail is key in sports books because generally, you want to know the inside of the sport. Lindsey even gets down to what she remembers thinking during particular races. I found that pieces fascinating. In some race explanation, I swear I was there is was so detailed focused. I also looked them up so I could see the play-by-play for myself.
Next, if you are not into snowboarding (like me) you might struggle a bit in this book. In general, this book is pretty short. I also found it hard to get into, again, I think because I didn't know much about the actual sport. I was looking for a bit more of Lindsey in this book. Yes, you get a lot of the sports piece which is important. You read about her feelings and emotions, especially at the Olympic Games. You read about her adopting her two dogs, and her move to California after the 2006 Olympics. You also get how sponsors dropped her after winning a SIlver Medal in 2006 (still do not get that one!). But, I wanted more Lindsey. One thing I love about Olympic books is the process. What was it like being chosen? What was the build up like? How did you feel about the Olympic village, any stories from it? I always watch as much of the Olympics as I can so I wanted that information. I wanted to understand Lindsey more as a person, not just an athlete. That piece was missing for.
Why then is this 4.5 stars for me? I do think this book is well done for a snowboarding fan. I think this would be a story you would want, and take a lot from. I think the stories itself were told well and the book was a good length given the subject matter. Will I hang onto it? No, because I won't read it again. One and done for me but, it was good. I am glad I read it.
I have read a lot of athletes memoirs, from all different kinds of sports. This is my first snowboarding memoir though, having not even watched it on television before. So, as you can imagine, I had not idea who Lindsey was when I picked up this book. I had to look up some videos of Lindsey on youtube to understand the whole snowboarding side.
To start, I think if you are a fan of Lindsey's or snowboarding in general, you will love this book. Lindsey does a great job of explaining where she came from, and her rise through this sport, which was relatively quick. She talks a lot about her races, especially the Olympic runs, and her various injuries from being a snowboarder her entire life. I think that attention to detail is key in sports books because generally, you want to know the inside of the sport. Lindsey even gets down to what she remembers thinking during particular races. I found that pieces fascinating. In some race explanation, I swear I was there is was so detailed focused. I also looked them up so I could see the play-by-play for myself.
Next, if you are not into snowboarding (like me) you might struggle a bit in this book. In general, this book is pretty short. I also found it hard to get into, again, I think because I didn't know much about the actual sport. I was looking for a bit more of Lindsey in this book. Yes, you get a lot of the sports piece which is important. You read about her feelings and emotions, especially at the Olympic Games. You read about her adopting her two dogs, and her move to California after the 2006 Olympics. You also get how sponsors dropped her after winning a SIlver Medal in 2006 (still do not get that one!). But, I wanted more Lindsey. One thing I love about Olympic books is the process. What was it like being chosen? What was the build up like? How did you feel about the Olympic village, any stories from it? I always watch as much of the Olympics as I can so I wanted that information. I wanted to understand Lindsey more as a person, not just an athlete. That piece was missing for.
Why then is this 4.5 stars for me? I do think this book is well done for a snowboarding fan. I think this would be a story you would want, and take a lot from. I think the stories itself were told well and the book was a good length given the subject matter. Will I hang onto it? No, because I won't read it again. One and done for me but, it was good. I am glad I read it.
November 13, 2023
Unforgiving: Lessons from the Fall is a compelling narrative of snowboarding sensation Lindsey Jacobellis. The author expertly navigates the highs and lows of her career, highlighting the pivotal moment that turned her into a symbol of unyielding determination. In 2006, on the cusp of taking the Gold, the author made a crucial error, earning her second place. For the next sixteen years, she publicly and privately struggled against criticism and self-doubt. Her book takes readers through the grueling training sessions and the profound lessons learned with a life coach, showcasing the evolution of a true champion.
I admit, I didn’t know about the fall part of the story until I read the book and found the author’s story fascinating. Her mistake was merely a stumble, and I think the attention it got speaks more to the media than what happened to her. We all stumble. This just happened to be a stumble on a very public stage, which then, essentially, went on to haunt the author because the press wouldn’t let it go. Ultimately, I loved the tone of celebration and joy in the book. You could feel her love for her sport. That attitude probably enabled her to keep striving and winning and eventually become the oldest woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics. It was truly inspiring. Unforgiving captures the essence of resilience and the power of self-discovery.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at: https://shows.acast.com/moms-dont-hav...
I admit, I didn’t know about the fall part of the story until I read the book and found the author’s story fascinating. Her mistake was merely a stumble, and I think the attention it got speaks more to the media than what happened to her. We all stumble. This just happened to be a stumble on a very public stage, which then, essentially, went on to haunt the author because the press wouldn’t let it go. Ultimately, I loved the tone of celebration and joy in the book. You could feel her love for her sport. That attitude probably enabled her to keep striving and winning and eventually become the oldest woman to win a gold medal in the Olympics. It was truly inspiring. Unforgiving captures the essence of resilience and the power of self-discovery.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at: https://shows.acast.com/moms-dont-hav...
November 1, 2023
I received a copy of this book from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
In this heartfelt autobiography, Olympic snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis tells her journey from a disappointing first Olympic experience that marred her public image for years to her triumphant 2022 games, when she finally brought home the gold. In addition to addressing her professional career, Lindsey details her childhood and early years, which all led her to a career in snowboarding.
I am a huge fan of the Olympics and have watched Lindsey Jacobellis compete in all of them. I do think she was unfairly branded by criticism after her first Olympic games and am thrilled that her story had a happy ending. But more than that, I loved learning more about her story and the years of training and experience that brought her to those brief moments we all can see on television. I loved her description of her early years, out skiing with family and friends most weekends and always desperate to keep up with her beloved older brother.
In many ways, Lindsey Jacobellis has had a very privileged upbringing that provided her the resources and access to become a snowboarding great. But she also is hardworking, dedicated, fearless, and often in the right time at the right place as the sport rose to prominence. I enjoyed getting to learn more about her story and get to know the woman behind the sport.
In this heartfelt autobiography, Olympic snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis tells her journey from a disappointing first Olympic experience that marred her public image for years to her triumphant 2022 games, when she finally brought home the gold. In addition to addressing her professional career, Lindsey details her childhood and early years, which all led her to a career in snowboarding.
I am a huge fan of the Olympics and have watched Lindsey Jacobellis compete in all of them. I do think she was unfairly branded by criticism after her first Olympic games and am thrilled that her story had a happy ending. But more than that, I loved learning more about her story and the years of training and experience that brought her to those brief moments we all can see on television. I loved her description of her early years, out skiing with family and friends most weekends and always desperate to keep up with her beloved older brother.
In many ways, Lindsey Jacobellis has had a very privileged upbringing that provided her the resources and access to become a snowboarding great. But she also is hardworking, dedicated, fearless, and often in the right time at the right place as the sport rose to prominence. I enjoyed getting to learn more about her story and get to know the woman behind the sport.
July 27, 2024
Lindsey Jacobellis has played a tremendous role in developing the sport of SBX. In the book she does a great job of sharing her journey with the reader. As strongly as she emphasizes that she has come to terms with the method that resulted in her winning silver instead of gold in Torino, it really seems like she has not. She stresses how she did not plan it or make a decision to do it, but rather that it was an organic expression of joy without thought. Then a few sentences later she says how the decision to do that method changed her life. I remember it on TV. When she did it, of course it was seen a showboating and of course the natural reaction was "that's what you get." But it was only one moment in time and she's been both haunted and tortured about it since then. While this is not dissimilar to someone who commits a spur of the moment crime in a split second that dictates the rest of the person's life, Jacobellis didn't' hurt anyone but herself. I could not help but wonder what it would feel like if people around the world saw and forever judged me by my actions in my dumbest moment. No one would want that. In the end it did not affect the tremendous athlete that she would continue to be, leading to two Olympic gold medals 16 year later. An enjoyable read with good insight into an interesting life.
October 31, 2023
Unforgiving lessons from the fall by Lindsey Jacobellis
I actually had never heard of her until I read this book and then her name actually rang a bell. She blew her shot at the gold in 2006 in snowboardcross. It was big news as she was poised to win and was the favorite. Her book illustrates her journey from her failure to finally winning in 2022.
She never gave up. She didn't listen to the people who didn't think she could do it. She trained and she was resilient in her goals. This book is a true testament to never giving up on your dreams.
I really enjoyed it… 4 stars!
I actually had never heard of her until I read this book and then her name actually rang a bell. She blew her shot at the gold in 2006 in snowboardcross. It was big news as she was poised to win and was the favorite. Her book illustrates her journey from her failure to finally winning in 2022.
She never gave up. She didn't listen to the people who didn't think she could do it. She trained and she was resilient in her goals. This book is a true testament to never giving up on your dreams.
I really enjoyed it… 4 stars!
October 29, 2023
Brava dear friend! I loved this book. Linds is a wonderful person and tremendously supportive friend. While I know many of the broad strokes of her story, this book highlighted some wonderful details. What an inspiring story of Grit, Determination, and Faith in one’s self … even when that faith is sometimes shaky. Like I said … with or without your gold medal(s), you were always gold in my book. Love you friend!
October 3, 2024
Really loved hearing about the start of snowboarding as an Olympic sport. Her journey of chasing her brother is so relatable. I enjoyed the book so cool that she accomplished her dreams at such a "later" age for Olympians. Definitely worth the read if you like memoirs, snowboarding and Olympics journeys.
August 21, 2024
She's grown up a lot and has been punished enough for her shownmanship in the olympics so many years ago - this was the lesson I learned. I need to forgive her, but even so, it has been so much harder for her to forgive herself I can only imagine!
September 18, 2024
The writing was REALYY hard to get through. So many commas in wrong places and short incomplete sentences made it choppy to read. It also felt like a lot of petty complaining, especially in the afterword. It was a struggle to make it to the end.
October 23, 2023
Fascinating/inspiring book by and about one of the G.O.A.T. athletes to ever compete.
January 7, 2024
An excellent autobiography by an Olympic Champion who had plenty of trials and difficulties, and who still hates Bob Costas for the poor way that he treated her in Torino in 2006.
March 9, 2024
I love a good sports memoir and I love a good comeback story and this is both! For sure an interesting look into the world of competitive snowboarding
January 9, 2026
Great lessons she learned about something that happened and how she was able to still compete.
December 6, 2023
Lindsey Jacobellis is a two time Olympic gold medalist and celebrated member of the snowboarding community. After facing major controversy for failing to pull a trick move in her first Olympic run in 2006, Lindsey faced an uphill battle to earn her gold medals in 2022.
My biggest take away: you will fall. You will fall and it may be embarrassing or the result of a stupid mistake. You will fall but you will get back up. And when you get back up, you will work even harder to make sure you don’t fall again. You just have to learn to forgive yourself for falling in the first place.
Very big thank you to Harper Collins and the author for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
My biggest take away: you will fall. You will fall and it may be embarrassing or the result of a stupid mistake. You will fall but you will get back up. And when you get back up, you will work even harder to make sure you don’t fall again. You just have to learn to forgive yourself for falling in the first place.
Very big thank you to Harper Collins and the author for the copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews