Running Sideways

November 29, 2021
Davis debuts with an exhilarating look at her remarkable life and career, from her youth in the Bahamas to her success across five Olympic games. Dedicated to “Bahamaland,” the book opens with an account of Davis’s childhood in the 1960s and ’70s in Bain Town, in a clapboard house “miles from the idyllic white sand beaches.” In spite of her family’s poverty, Davis’s “raw talent” as a runner got her noticed in the seventh grade and she quickly ascended in the track world, going on to excel in the 1984 CARIFTA games. After becoming a NCAA National Champion in 1989, she won a series of Olympic medals, including a silver in the 1996 Atlanta games and two golds in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. In addition to regaling readers with stories from that era, she reminisces on the fallout surrounding American sprinter Marion Jones, whose doping scandal and disqualification in the 2000 Olympics overshadowed Davis’s wins, later inspiring her to join the World Athletics council to protect and regulate “mankind’s most fundamental sport.” While her narrative is bracing, most admirable is Davis’s unflagging love for her homeland: “Everything I have done in my life has been for country.” This tale of determination will enthrall athletes and humanists alike.

January 1, 2022
Pauline Davis, a five-time Olympian (1984 through 2000) and two-time Olympic gold medalist from the Bahamas, may not be a household name to U.S. track-and-field fans, but her remarkable life journey will surely inspire readers. She was raised in a ghetto neighborhood with no plumbing or electricity; however, her talent as a sprinter was evident at a young age, especially because she ran barefoot, carrying her body in a sideways manner. Dedicated coaches and even a prime minister championed Davis, helping her compete in the Caribbean, at the University of Alabama, and on the international stage. With a competitive fire and unwavering work ethic, Davis triumphed over more than just other sprinters on the track. Her encounters with racism and political obstacles would have crushed the spirit of many athletes, yet she persevered to become the first Black woman to serve on the IAAF (now World Athletics) Council, championing issues like equality and anti-doping. A trailblazing citizen of the world and her beloved country, Davis eloquently reminds us that the difference between success and failure can be razor thin.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.