This is not a queer-specific book, but just like Stevenson’s other volumes in Quirk Books’ Kid Legends series (see below), there is queerness here. In each profile of roughly eight to 10 pages, we learn about people who have excelled at the highest level of their sports, with an emphasis on how their childhoods shaped them. We see them make their marks early—but also face early challenges, both personal and societal.
In accessible but never patronizing prose, Stevenson sketches the stories of her subjects’ childhoods, deftly setting the scene for each one and providing informative details, engaging quotes, and sometimes humorous anecdotes. Megan Rapinoe is among those featured, and Stevenson discusses her coming out and her desire to speak up for LGBTQ rights as well as her athletic development.
Also profiled is Paralympic wheelchair racer Tatyana McFadden, who was born in a Russian orphanage, then adopted and raised by two moms. Among other things, Stevenson notes that just as Tatyana faced discrimination because of her disability, her moms had faced discrimination as a same-sex couple—one of the reasons they were eager to help change things for Tatyana.
Other athletes are diverse in era and in racial/ethnic identities: Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Usain Bolt, Dick Fosbury, Nadia Comaneci, Serena Williams, Ibtihaj Muhammad, Gertrude Ederle, Michael Phelps, Ellie Simmonds, Yusra Mardini, Tommie Smith, Simone Biles, and Naomi Osaka. In addition to discussing their athletic achievements, Robinson also explores how many of these athletes fought for their own and others’ civil rights. She also notably mentions that several of the athletes profiled have experienced mental health challenges, and have spoken up about this. (Content warning: She notes that Michael Phelps struggled with suicidal thoughts.)
A recommended book that like the rest of the series, manages to be both delightful and informative.
