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Misty: My Journey Through Volleyball and Life
The passionate, poignant, and triumphant story of two-time Olympic gold medal–winning beach volleyball icon Misty May-Treanor.
More than any Olympics in history, the 2008 Beijing Summer Games captured the world’s imagination, and Misty May-Treanor became one of the biggest U.S. stars on the global stage. Now she shares the story of her life and remarkable athletic career.
Destined for beach volleyball superstardom, having been raised on famed Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California, Misty talks about the personal and professional challenges she has faced and the life lessons she has learned in the process. From growing up with two driven, competitive, accomplished athlete parents and living in a volatile household rocked for years by their alcoholism to the heartbreaking death of her mother from cancer, Misty reveals intimate details never before publicly discussed. She tells behind-the-scenes stories about her eight-year climb to the top of beach volleyball with partners Holly McPeak and Kerri Walsh; her career-threatening injuries; her role on ABC’s hit television show Dancing with the Stars ; and of course, her historic two Olympic gold medals and the special rewards they’ve brought.
Offering an unprecedented glimpse into the life of a cherished celebrity sports icon and an ambassador for women’s athletics, Misty will touch, inspire, and empower readers everywhere.
More than any Olympics in history, the 2008 Beijing Summer Games captured the world’s imagination, and Misty May-Treanor became one of the biggest U.S. stars on the global stage. Now she shares the story of her life and remarkable athletic career.
Destined for beach volleyball superstardom, having been raised on famed Muscle Beach in Santa Monica, California, Misty talks about the personal and professional challenges she has faced and the life lessons she has learned in the process. From growing up with two driven, competitive, accomplished athlete parents and living in a volatile household rocked for years by their alcoholism to the heartbreaking death of her mother from cancer, Misty reveals intimate details never before publicly discussed. She tells behind-the-scenes stories about her eight-year climb to the top of beach volleyball with partners Holly McPeak and Kerri Walsh; her career-threatening injuries; her role on ABC’s hit television show Dancing with the Stars ; and of course, her historic two Olympic gold medals and the special rewards they’ve brought.
Offering an unprecedented glimpse into the life of a cherished celebrity sports icon and an ambassador for women’s athletics, Misty will touch, inspire, and empower readers everywhere.
304 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2010
28 people are currently reading
451 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
May 16, 2017
Known for being the epitome of female beach volleyball, Misty May-Treanor shares her story and the experiences she faced through life and volleyball. When reading, you get the opportunity to see how May-Treanor came to all the decisions she made when it came to knowing when to take a break from volleyball, choosing the right partner, and heading to the Olympics. Now being a three time Olympic gold medalist, May-Treanor is often associated with volleyball, but in this book, it digs deep into her personal life and the struggles she faced along her journey to get to where she is today like growing up with alcoholic parents, possible career ending injuries, sexual assault, and the loss of her mother.
I would give this book a 4 out of 5, because of how well written it was and I also enjoyed the fact that you can tell what May-Treanor’s personality is like through the humor she includes, along with all the rhetoric she used throughout the book. I liked how she combines her personality with syntax especially when people and the media had negative comments about how her and her partner, Kerri Walsh, celebrated after winning the gold medal. May-Treanor responds back with, “It stunned people to see two women rolling around in bikinis skin touching skin..We’d just won an Olympic gold medal! How should we have expressed our elation? By standing across the court from each other and giving the thumbs up sign? By high fiving each other? I don’t think so. Get over it” (220). Here, the author is asking a series of questions, making the reader feel bombarded and not giving readers a moment to answer, but instead she decided to answer her own questions very quickly and confidently. And just by reading that, I got an idea of her personality. Because she answered very quickly and the way she did, it shows that she doesn’t care or want to hear anyone else’s opinion about how her and her partner should have celebrated. I see her as confident because she’s not concerned about small judgements made by people she doesn’t even know, but she also knows her worth.
Out of the 36 comments left on Amazon, 81% of those reviewers rated the book a five out of five. One of the reviewers who gave that five out of five was E. Chan, and it states, “Some of it was sharing insights into the depths of the volleyball world, and some of it was just hilarious stories that Misty has experienced. Misty's book reminds me of the promo line from an old movie entitled ‘Stuart Saves His Family’. The line goes: ‘You'll laugh because it's not your family, and you'll cry because it is.’ I did find myself laughing out loud, as well as having tears well up in my eyes while reading Misty's book”. And I completely agree with Chan’s comments on the book. When he refers to the movie, “Stuart Saves His Family”, I think that quotes means that you can be embarrassed of your family and laugh it off, but at the same time, you’ll cry because deep down, they are your family. I think this relates back to the book because May-Treanor didn’t live the perfect life and may have felt embarrassed about her family at times, but she’ll always love them no matter what happens. And just like Chan, I had many different emotions while reading every chapter, from being surprised about searching for a new volleyball partner to tearing up about the passing of her mother, and even joy and excitement when they won the gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Although there were many positive reviews about the book, I did stumble upon a few negative reviews. Giving the book a low rating of one out of five, Sarah Hannan from Amazon, states, “I started reading this book but quit within the first chapter or so as I felt like I was reading a bio on Misty's father. Needless to say, I was disappointed” and I agree only up to a point. Yes the book starts off slow and the first few chapters feel more like a biography of her father than her own, but I think it was important to include a chapter or two about her father, considering he was the one who sparked her interest in volleyball. I do think everyone is subjected to their own opinion, but I don’t think Sarah understood the reason why her dad was a big part of the book and may think that May-Treanor is just stating a bunch of facts about her dad just to say it, but that’s not the case. If she had read the rest of the book or at least further into it, she would’ve understood how her dad connects to the rest of her story and how he is one of her biggest supporters. A quote from the beginning of the book states, “Sadly, Dad is haunted by a lot of regrets from his Mexico City Olympics experience, his two failed marriages to Linda, and his lack of participation as a father to their two children. If he could go back in time, if he could undo his mistakes, he certainly would” (22). And then May-Treanor later states, “In addition, Dad promised himself when I was born that he’d be a better father to me than he had been to Brack and Scott. He threw all of his energy behind me, into my well-being and my future. I became his mission”(86). So earlier in the book when she was giving a small look into her father's life, it ended up tying back into the story. Like May-Treanor said, her dad wasn’t the best father to her half siblings but after she was born, he made her his number one priority by always taking care of her and giving her the opportunity to try new things and to be apart of a team even when money was tight.
I would recommend this book to any volleyball fan or for anyone who would like to know the challenges, commitment, and passion it takes just to make it further into their athletic career. There are many moments when she does repeat a lot of information and not always going into detail so there may be moments where the book feels dry if you don’t know much about the different volleyball drills and exercises. She could have talked more about what was going on in her head whenever she won a game, qualified for a competition, or being neck in neck with a competitor, but only went into good depth for very few stories. And because of all the repetition and lack of depth in many chapters (where I thought would have been a perfect opportunity for her to express her emotions and thoughts) I gave this book a four out of five.
I would give this book a 4 out of 5, because of how well written it was and I also enjoyed the fact that you can tell what May-Treanor’s personality is like through the humor she includes, along with all the rhetoric she used throughout the book. I liked how she combines her personality with syntax especially when people and the media had negative comments about how her and her partner, Kerri Walsh, celebrated after winning the gold medal. May-Treanor responds back with, “It stunned people to see two women rolling around in bikinis skin touching skin..We’d just won an Olympic gold medal! How should we have expressed our elation? By standing across the court from each other and giving the thumbs up sign? By high fiving each other? I don’t think so. Get over it” (220). Here, the author is asking a series of questions, making the reader feel bombarded and not giving readers a moment to answer, but instead she decided to answer her own questions very quickly and confidently. And just by reading that, I got an idea of her personality. Because she answered very quickly and the way she did, it shows that she doesn’t care or want to hear anyone else’s opinion about how her and her partner should have celebrated. I see her as confident because she’s not concerned about small judgements made by people she doesn’t even know, but she also knows her worth.
Out of the 36 comments left on Amazon, 81% of those reviewers rated the book a five out of five. One of the reviewers who gave that five out of five was E. Chan, and it states, “Some of it was sharing insights into the depths of the volleyball world, and some of it was just hilarious stories that Misty has experienced. Misty's book reminds me of the promo line from an old movie entitled ‘Stuart Saves His Family’. The line goes: ‘You'll laugh because it's not your family, and you'll cry because it is.’ I did find myself laughing out loud, as well as having tears well up in my eyes while reading Misty's book”. And I completely agree with Chan’s comments on the book. When he refers to the movie, “Stuart Saves His Family”, I think that quotes means that you can be embarrassed of your family and laugh it off, but at the same time, you’ll cry because deep down, they are your family. I think this relates back to the book because May-Treanor didn’t live the perfect life and may have felt embarrassed about her family at times, but she’ll always love them no matter what happens. And just like Chan, I had many different emotions while reading every chapter, from being surprised about searching for a new volleyball partner to tearing up about the passing of her mother, and even joy and excitement when they won the gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.
Although there were many positive reviews about the book, I did stumble upon a few negative reviews. Giving the book a low rating of one out of five, Sarah Hannan from Amazon, states, “I started reading this book but quit within the first chapter or so as I felt like I was reading a bio on Misty's father. Needless to say, I was disappointed” and I agree only up to a point. Yes the book starts off slow and the first few chapters feel more like a biography of her father than her own, but I think it was important to include a chapter or two about her father, considering he was the one who sparked her interest in volleyball. I do think everyone is subjected to their own opinion, but I don’t think Sarah understood the reason why her dad was a big part of the book and may think that May-Treanor is just stating a bunch of facts about her dad just to say it, but that’s not the case. If she had read the rest of the book or at least further into it, she would’ve understood how her dad connects to the rest of her story and how he is one of her biggest supporters. A quote from the beginning of the book states, “Sadly, Dad is haunted by a lot of regrets from his Mexico City Olympics experience, his two failed marriages to Linda, and his lack of participation as a father to their two children. If he could go back in time, if he could undo his mistakes, he certainly would” (22). And then May-Treanor later states, “In addition, Dad promised himself when I was born that he’d be a better father to me than he had been to Brack and Scott. He threw all of his energy behind me, into my well-being and my future. I became his mission”(86). So earlier in the book when she was giving a small look into her father's life, it ended up tying back into the story. Like May-Treanor said, her dad wasn’t the best father to her half siblings but after she was born, he made her his number one priority by always taking care of her and giving her the opportunity to try new things and to be apart of a team even when money was tight.
I would recommend this book to any volleyball fan or for anyone who would like to know the challenges, commitment, and passion it takes just to make it further into their athletic career. There are many moments when she does repeat a lot of information and not always going into detail so there may be moments where the book feels dry if you don’t know much about the different volleyball drills and exercises. She could have talked more about what was going on in her head whenever she won a game, qualified for a competition, or being neck in neck with a competitor, but only went into good depth for very few stories. And because of all the repetition and lack of depth in many chapters (where I thought would have been a perfect opportunity for her to express her emotions and thoughts) I gave this book a four out of five.
September 27, 2010
Misty May-Treanor’s, “Misty” combines family saga and her many obstacles in reaching the ultimate goal of the 2004 Olympic volleyball championship. The book was very inspirational and shows her very emotional journey throughout life. She is about never giving up, going for your dreams, and always working your hardest by having a good attitude.
Misty May-Treanor is one of the best volleyball players the world knows. The story follows her childhood, where her mother and father played beach volleyball and always had Misty present with them. That is how she learned how to play the game. Her volleyball life was important all through high school, college, and into professional sports. I would recommend the book, because it’s easy to read, and it’s like she’s actually talking to you.
Misty May-Treanor is one of the best volleyball players the world knows. The story follows her childhood, where her mother and father played beach volleyball and always had Misty present with them. That is how she learned how to play the game. Her volleyball life was important all through high school, college, and into professional sports. I would recommend the book, because it’s easy to read, and it’s like she’s actually talking to you.
August 6, 2012
This book was really cute because it gives insight into Misty May's personality, which is also very cute. The first chapter started off very choppy and odd, but it was more a summary chapter and then it went in a more chronological order, so don't let it throw you. I will say that this book will very possibly be less than 4 stars to those who do not love or understand volleyball, because that is a large part of it. It goes into her experiences, details about scores, lots of details about training, etc. But there are a lot of stories about the people that influenced her life and how she came to where she is today. It was very interesting and a pretty easy, quick read!
November 28, 2016
I'm reading along, enjoying all the details of Misty May Treanor's glorious volleyball career and her candid, at times (understandably) cocky voice, then she kicks my legs out from under me with a touching, inspirational ending that made me cry. Well done.
June 16, 2010
An amazing athlete! A must read for any aspiring volleyball player.
August 26, 2012
I love her and look up to her as an inspiration and enjoyed reading about her a lot. Good luck in London Misty!!!(: Great book for all things about her inside and out and if you love volleyball.
April 10, 2019
Philosophical book about dealing with what life gives you.
October 16, 2019
This was really a good book that describes the work and commitment Misty put toward her volleyball career. It was not just a hobby for her. An outstanding athlete!!
June 4, 2014
This book details Misty's life from her childhood spent on Muscle Beach, to her experiences winning three Olympic gold medals in beach volleyball. I found it to be very inspiring. Misty gives a lot of credit to her parents, coaches, and teammates in this book which I thought was touching and showed that she could not be where she is now without such a phenomenal support system.
While the book provides insight into the hard work and lifestyle of a professional athlete, I would recommend it more for volleyball fans. I think it is that much more meaningful to understand the types of drills and games she discusses. She outlines her experiences with high school, college, AVP and international volleyball and also talks about her transition from indoor to beach.
But it was a perfect mix because while it is very heavily focused on her volleyball career since that's what she is known for, there were a lot of personal anecdotes that were not about volleyball that were equally as touching and inspiring such as her grief after her mother's death, meeting her husband, and her life after returning to the United States as an Olympic champion.
While the book provides insight into the hard work and lifestyle of a professional athlete, I would recommend it more for volleyball fans. I think it is that much more meaningful to understand the types of drills and games she discusses. She outlines her experiences with high school, college, AVP and international volleyball and also talks about her transition from indoor to beach.
But it was a perfect mix because while it is very heavily focused on her volleyball career since that's what she is known for, there were a lot of personal anecdotes that were not about volleyball that were equally as touching and inspiring such as her grief after her mother's death, meeting her husband, and her life after returning to the United States as an Olympic champion.
November 28, 2014
One might expect this book to really delve into the volleyball world of Misty May-Treanor however it truly is the story of her life. There is so much more to who she is and how she got to where she is. Would you say that she grew up in the right location for this to happen, absolutely. Did she take advantage of each and every opportunity and bust her butt to do so, with the support of her family and friends, absolutely.
Misty appears so nonchalant and down to earth through her writing that I can only wish to meet her and see if that's who she is in person as well. If what she says is true, which I can believe as I've watched Kerri Walsh play and everything Misty says is spot on, than she is one incredibly and remarkable athlete and person.
Misty May-Treanor is the JJ Watt of beach volleyball without a doubt!
Misty appears so nonchalant and down to earth through her writing that I can only wish to meet her and see if that's who she is in person as well. If what she says is true, which I can believe as I've watched Kerri Walsh play and everything Misty says is spot on, than she is one incredibly and remarkable athlete and person.
Misty May-Treanor is the JJ Watt of beach volleyball without a doubt!
May 7, 2013
This autobiography is about Misty May-Treanor, a three time olympic gold medalist, and her experiences throughout her volleyball career and childhood. I found this book really inspiring. For example, as a young girl, both her parents were alcoholics. She had to live as an only child with two drunk adults in her home for much of her childhood. Misty also struggled when her mom died at a young age. Also, I play volleyball, so I could connect to the book. For example, she wrote about how at her club team's nationals when she was a teenager, they lost to a team called Sports Performance. I've played that club in my volleyball tournaments! I overall really enjoyed this book, and I would highly suggest it to other readers.
September 3, 2015
As long as I have read this book it's been amazing. There is so much action, adventures with Misty, and things that I did not know about Misty. There was a few things that I thought was a little too much for me to know, but it was only a few parts. The pictures in the middle were fun to see, o didn't just have to read her adventures, but see them too. Many of the words were too big for me to understand. Reading this book made me realize that she isn't at all so serious, and the hard time she had with her mother passing away. I can relate to that because my father had just passed away. I recommend this book be read 14 or older.
December 3, 2014
Misty May-Treanor is one of my many role models. I think it's amazing that in the midst of all her difficulties, she was able to stay determined, and work for her dream. She had some rough times in her life yet she turned out to be a very successful athlete. Even through all the obstacles, she was able to keep going. In this book she talks about her journey to getting two of her gold medals. Her book really, really shows the importance of hard work. Some of the stories she shared in her autobiography made me laugh or smile, while others made me really reflect on my own life. This book is one of my all time favorites, and it's definitely something that will make you feel inspired.
April 12, 2013
As a longtime player of this sport, it's hard not to appreciate this tale of May-Treanor and her rise to be the best women's player ever. Those looking for an interesting story will find it, from the issues faced within her family dynamic to the struggle and success of winning (at the time) two Olympic gold medals. And volleyball enthusiasts will find plenty to enjoy as well as she shares stories of rubbing elbows with some of the greats of the sport, all while on her own way to joining their ranks herself. Good read.
February 7, 2014
Misty May has always been my idol. I played volleyball back in high school and I always looked up to her. This book went into great detail about her life, not only on the volleyball court, but in her home as well. She has been through a lot and I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a few tears while reading this. Her bubbly personality shows through her writing style and she has a pretty great sense of humor. Overall, I loved this book. I love Misty May and I have even more respect for her now after reading about her life journey.
August 30, 2012
4.5 stars. I have been fascinated by May-Treanor and Walsh-Jennings for the last couple of Olympics. I am even more impressed with their accomplishments after having read Misty's book. The amount of trying and physical preparation that went into Misy's career is staggering. I found the book to be very entertaining as well as informative. The only slight negative was Misty's tendency to come off as arrogant at times. Very interesting insight into her life and a highly readable biography.
September 28, 2020
It amaze me on how different Misty May view her world & what a beautiful journey she had. I love her humor too, especially bout her dad. She know how to use her platform to encourage & light up the world of others. The way she shared her journey, how she enjoyed herself without weighing the past, its admirable.
November 25, 2020
INSPIRATIONAL STORY! As a volleyball player this was such a great book to read! I think any athlete should read this book and see how she was able to get a Olympic gold medal and her ups and downs. Misty May is a strong woman and a great role model. It is NOT a boring biography, it’s funny, emotional, and inspirational!
September 21, 2015
This book tells the life and journey Misty works to get to the top. She is a huge idol of mine. She has gone through many hard times, but still managed to get to be one of the best beach volleyball players, and gets 2 medals in the Olympics.
December 6, 2017
This was a really great book! I love volleyball, in fact, I play it a lot so I really liked it. It had a lot of words on each page, and it was quite a big book so at a few moments, it got boring. That's the only reason I rated it 4 stars. I would recommend this book to people who like volleyball!
April 3, 2011
I enjoyed this book. I enjoy uplifting stories. I like people who can find the good in every situation. Misty has a great personality I can relate to.
November 6, 2010
I was inspired by Misty's work ethic and life outside of volleyball. I think this would be good for teenage and preteens to read for inspiration.
January 20, 2011
This is my athletic idol. Easy, interesting, fun read and glimpse into her life.
December 21, 2012
I love Misty May and I loved the first part of the book. The second part seemed to slow down. I would read if you are a huge fan of her and Kerri
August 17, 2015
Love watching Beach Volleyball and have been following Misty May for quite a few years. Saw her play at an AVP tournament a few summers ago, so I really enjoyed reading about her life.
October 20, 2013
I love her
May 5, 2015
amazing! she has such an amazing talent athletically and educationally! she not only teaches us about the court and volleyball but what her experience was like on the court and in her normal life.
November 27, 2022
Great book
Read
July 28, 2021A fun reread for the Olympics 🏅🏅🏅
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews