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Loading... Fire on the Track: Betty Robinson and the Triumph of the Early Olympic Women (edition 2017)by Roseanne Montillo (Author)
Work InformationFire on the Track: Betty Robinson and the Triumph of the Early Olympic Women by Roseanne Montillo
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. I was intrigued with this book’s title. I have heard of Betty Robinson, along with such other female athletes as Babe Didrikson and Stella Walsh, but I must admit that I don’t know much about them. The story gets off to a compelling start with the 1931 plane crash that almost takes Betty’s life. Then the story reverts to her adventures at the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam. This is not just a biography of Betty, but weaves in other female athletes of the time. It was interesting reading, but the story kept moving back and forth. Author Montillo would introduce a person or a event, then give a backstory to that person/event. I was often confused about the timeframe each chapter was supposed to set in. I believe that a reader has to have some knowledge of the participants and the events in order to really enjoy the way this book is written. Therefore Fire on the Track: Betty Robinson and the Triumph of the Early Olympic Women gets 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. Despite the very title of this book holding Betty Robinson’s name, there are several other prevalent female track athletes mentioned within. These names included: Polish-American Stella Walsh, Texan Babe Didrikson, the first African-American female to compete in the Olympics, Tidye Pickett, and young Helen Stephens. Without giving away too much, appearances of these women and the muscles they possessed caused extreme out roar in the media and public. Remember, this was a time that believed women ONLY belonged in the kitchen and definitely should not possess “manly muscles” gained from athletics. This story follows Betty from a 16-year-old, discovered for her speed after running down and catching a morning commuter train, to a 20-something Betty recovering from a plane crash and never expected to run again. Throughout, Betty’s resolve, resiliency and strength are on full display, and while she may not have fully understood her place in history at the time, it is clear to the reader how important those 1928 Olympics would become for female athletes in the United States. As a side note, it was interesting to see the different takes on the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. After having just finished The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which followed a MEN’s rowing team and their treatment/accommodations in Berlin, it was certainly eye opening when compared to the WOMEN’s track and field team’s treatment and accommodations. Even the comparisons within the books regarding swimmer Eleanor Holm and her removal from the Olympic team while aboard the USS Manhattan on the way to Berlin, differed when told from the women’s point of view. For the full review, please visit: https://fortheloveofthepageblog.wordpress.com/ no reviews | add a review
Biography & Autobiography.
Sports & Recreations.
Nonfiction.
HTML:The inspiring and irresistible true story of the women who broke barriers and finish-line ribbons in pursuit of Olympic Gold When Betty Robinson assumed the starting position at the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, she was participating in what was only her fourth-ever organized track meet. She crossed the finish line as a gold medalist and the fastest woman in the world. This improbable athletic phenom was an ordinary high school student, discovered running for a train in rural Illinois mere months before her Olympic debut. Amsterdam made her a star. But at the top of her game, her career (and life) almost came to a tragic end when a plane she and her cousin were piloting crashed. So dire was Betty's condition that she was taken to the local morgue; only upon the undertaker's inspection was it determined she was still breathing. Betty, once a natural runner who always coasted to victory, soon found herself fighting to walk. While Betty was recovering, the other women of Track and Field were given the chance to shine in the Los Angeles Games, building on Betty's pioneering role as the first female Olympic champion in the sport. These athletes became more visible and more accepted, as stars like Babe Didrikson and Stella Walsh showed the world what women could do. Andâ??miraculouslyâ??through grit and countless hours of training, Betty earned her way onto the 1936 Olympic team, again locking her sights on gold as she and her American teammates went up against the German favorites in Hitler's Berlin. Told in vivid detail with novelistic flair, Fire on the Track is an unforgettable portrait of these trailblazers in a No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)796.42092The arts Recreational and performing arts Athletic and outdoor sports and games Olympic sports Track events, running; General track and fieldLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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"She simply could not, would not lose."
When arrogance gets in the way, Betty fails to perform as expected. Her response was full of excuses, yet included a dose of humility and the promise to work hard for the Olympics. Sports athletes should take that to heart. While they may have talent, humility goes a long way compared to arrogance.
Fire on the Track primarily tells the story of Elizabeth Robinson, though it does cover key individuals around her including Stanislawa Walasiewicz (Stella Walsh), Catherine Maguire and Delores Boechmann. It covers the spirit and determination of the women that competed at the Olympics in Amsterman in 1928. The novel included moments such as when some women Olympic contenders decided to go on a shopping spree in Paris. Though it was only those involved in the swimming category, the stereotype affected women across the board. Basically, women preferred shopping over the Olympics. Insert facepalm here.
The writing makes it easy for the reader to imagine themselves there, next to Betty as she prepared for and eventually took off down the track. Her first race, the nervousness of the other runners, even the weather, all descriptions added to the moment of that day. Even the victory when Betty won as the first women's gold medalist in track and field. The history of women in the earlier years of the Olympics track and field would be of interest to anyone that enjoys reading about historical events as well as for those that like reading about the trials and triumphs of athletes. When the book reached the part where it covered the 800m, that caught my interest enough to search and read about it more.
But the story doesn't end with her victory in Amsterdam. It continues with the amazing story of her survival after an airplane accident, being brought to the mortuary as she was thought to be dead, only to have the mortician discover she was barely breathing. Betty was told she'd never walk again, but her love of running pushed her not only to regain use of her legs but to sore even farther with the goal of the 1938 Olympics.
Stories continued to include the accident with the discus throw. Yiks. Stella had been arrested after the discus slipped from her hand and hit a spectator. The man fell unconscious and was sent to the hospital with a possible skull fracture. That moment of unknown strength from a woman surprised the public. This is what I found interesting about this book. There are lots of stories like that one. For readers that enjoy a bit of history, this would be an excellent gift. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest opinion. ( )