National Network for Equitable Library Service

From New York Times bestselling author and trailblazing athlete Ronda Rousey comes an unfiltered chronicle of loss, resilience, and finding meaning in life's journey. From the moment she burst onto the MMA scene, Ronda Rousey was unbeatable. She repeatedly strung together back-to-back flawless victories, racking up a collection of records and forever changing the face of sports as the UFC's first female champion. A superstar in her sport, she transcended athletics, appearing in blockbuster films and becoming a role model for women everywhere.

Tighten Your Lines and Hang On! You're in for quite a ride! There is simply no other race like it. The Calgary Stampede's Rangeland Derby brings together a unique community of men, women and horses for the toughest teamster competition in the world! In 2023, the Rangeland Derby celebrates its 100th anniversary. Every summer for 10 decades, drivers and outriders with their horses and wagons have dashed, yelled and thundered around Calgary's racetrack.

Set in Saskatchewan during the Great Depression, this is the story of hockey legend Gordie Howe and his first experience with skating. The book is charmingly illustrated in full colour by Leanne Franson. Bill Waiser is a popular historian and Governor-General's-Award-winning author. Times were hard for five-year-old Gordie and his family in the 1930s. One day, a neighbour, desperate for some money, sold Mrs. Howe a bag of meager possessions. Inside was something wonderful: an old pair of men's hockey skates.

The legendary goalie who revolutionized the game of hockey - Young Jacques Plante's way of playing hockey may look different from everyone else's. Instead of a puck, he uses a tennis ball, and his shin pads are made out of potato sacks and wooden slats. But that's not going to stop him. He loves the game. Jacques is drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in his mid-twenties. Fans love the unstoppable goalie as he leads his team to one victory after another. But there's a price to pay: pucks to the face result in a broken jaw, broken cheekbones, multiple stitches, and even a skull fracture.

Athletes throughout history have dreamed of competing in the Olympics - and some were kids themselves when those dreams and plans began! In Kid Olympians: Summer, discover the childhood stories of legends such as -Usain Bolt, who used to skip practices to go to the arcade and play video games. -Serena Williams, who sometimes hit her tennis ball over the fence on purpose! -Tatyana McFadden, who had to fight to be allowed on her school's track team Featuring kid-friendly text, this book will inspire you to dream bigger, faster, and higher than ever before!

In this unvarnished and affecting memoir, Olympian Kara Goucher reveals her experience of living through and speaking out about one of the biggest scandals in running. Kara Goucher grew up with Olympic dreams. She excelled at running from a young age and was offered a Nike sponsorship deal when she graduated from college. Then in 2004, she was invited to join a secretive, lavishly funded new team, dubbed the Nike Oregon Project. Coached by distance running legend Alberto Salazar, it seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime.

In this carefully curated collection of essays, editors Jamie Dopp and Angie Abdou go beyond their first collection, Writing the Body in Motion, to engage with the meaning of sport found in Canadian sport literature. How does "sport" differ from physically risky recreational activities that require strength and skill? Does sport demand that someone win? At what point does a sport become an art?

Meaghan Marie Hackinen's follow-up to her award-nominated debut South Away charts her unforgettable, twenty-five-day journey on the Trans Am Bike Race: a coast-to-coast ride across the entire North American continent from Oregon to Virginia. Without the aid of a support crew, Hackinen must rely entirely on her wits, ingenuity and sheer determination to finish this extremely challenging feat.

Wisdom River: Meditations on Fly Fishing and Life Midstream is a collection of stories, poetry, photos, art, recipes, and jokes that celebrate the wonders of fly fishing and the wisdom that can be gained from spending time on the river. Writers from Montana and Alberta each bring a unique perspective and voice as they share adventures and memories from times they have spent riverside and midstream.

A captivating and candid memoir from one of the most beloved and colorful figures in Toronto Blue Jays history. John Gibbons is one of the most beloved figures in Toronto Blue Jays history. Over 11 years and two separate managerial stints with the team, he endeared himself to fans with his folksy manner and his frequent battles with umpires: “Here comes Gibby!” Winning helped too. Under Gibbons’s management, the Jays made the American League Championship Series in 2015, ending a 22-year playoff drought; then they did it again in 2016.