International swimming star Michael Phelps wrote the book, No Limits: the Will to Succeed, along with award winning sportswriter Alan Abrahamson, to inspire the world with his mental and physical preparation and toughness that led to his success in the swimming pool as well as his success in achieving a higher level of morals in his everyday life. The book is divided into eight chapters; each chapter representing one successful event he swam in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics as well as a moral characteristic that led to his success in that particular event. The eight events included the 400 individual medley, the 400 freestyle relay, the 200 freestyle, the 200 butterfly, the 800 freestyle relay, the 200 individual medley, the 100 butterfly, and the 400 medley relay. The characteristics that helped Phelps achieve his success are perseverance, belief, redemption, determination, confidence, courage, will, and commitment. Throughout this book, Michael Phelps explains the importance in setting goals, in competition and in life, and achieving them. Phelps describes the setbacks he experienced throughout his life which could have stopped him from achieving his goals, such as his diagnoses of ADHD, season ending injuries, and his elementary school teachers deeming him to “never be successful”. He also describes what inspired him to keep striving for success, such as the influence of his mother and the harsh words of competitors. Michael Phelps relies on his dedication, determination, and his passion for the sport to show the entire world that he truly has no limits.
I would encourage all athletes to read this book by Michael Phelps because as I was reading it, I found it very easy to relate the setbacks and success of an Olympic superstar to my own setbacks and success. Athletes that read this book would be inspired by Phelps’ story and will be encouraged to strive for success in their own athletic competition. I also would recommend this book for anybody who has not been successful at something they have tried in their life, because it demonstrates the many times that even the “world’s greatest athlete” has failed sometime in his life, but he has bounced back and is on top once again.
In addition to No Limits: the Will to Succeed, Michael Phelps also wrote his first book, Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface, shortly after his experiences in the 2004 Athens Olympics. Though I recommend both books to readers that are interested in the success story of Michael Phelps, I think that No Limits: the Will to Succeed draws the reader’s attention much better than Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface, which is probably due, in my opinion, to the exciting quest for eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In the story of the 2004 Olympics (Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface), Phelps’s main goal was to establish himself as an international household name, while in the story of the 2008 Olympics (No Limits: the Will to Succeed); Phelps’s goal was to “change the sport of swimming forever”. The story of how Phelps truly did change the sport of swimming forever is presented very nicely in the book No Limits: the Will to Succeed and I would recommend this book to anyone looking for inspiration from an International swimming legend.
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When I first saw the title, No Limitations: The Will to Succeed by Michael Phelps and Alan Abrahamson, I was quickly captured. During the Olympics in Beijing, I truly admired Michael Phelps for his love and determination for swimming. Although I don’t swim, I am very involved in tennis. So when I read Katelyn Allen’s summary of Phelps’ novel, and how Phelps’ believed that qualities can improve athlete’s goals and abilities, I automatically found myself drawn to reading this book. Perseverance, belief, redemption, determination, confidence, courage, will, and commitment are all strong qualities that I believe everyone needs to have, because without them we won’t have the will and desire to set goals. Without goals, one cannot progress through life. Phelps proved that even though he has disabilities, with the qualities listed above, anything is possible. I would read this book any day, because it truly inspired me to believe that the goals I set, can be achieved with the work I put forth and the will and desire I have in my heart!
ReplyDeleteI read the title of this post, and had to read it. I mean, it's Michael Phelps. Now, after reading this post, I think that I may actually want to read the book too, and not just because Katelyn reccomended it for all athletes. I am an athlete, and I struggle with running fast times and constantly improving. It is difficult to improve, when you feel like every race is different and yet all are the same time. I have had two season ending injuries, so I can relate in that respect as well. Anyway, after reading this post I am interested in the book, and plan on reading it soon.
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