RELENTLESS SPIRIT, Golden Goggles, Missy Franklin, and a New Swimsuit

Seems like we just welcomed the autumn equinox and already the holiday shopping season is officially upon us. Do you have any particular shopping habits? I have a tendency to get sidetracked while doing research and come across one link that leads to another and then I land on a website and buy something for myself OR I have been known to shop with this method: buy something for a friend or family member and then buy one for me. Which leads to my purchase of a Missy Franklin Signature Speedo swimsuit for myself. How did I get to this online purchase? Well, I’ll go backward to Tuesday morning and share my chain of thoughts/actions:

* Need to write an entry for Sporty Girl Books blog.

* Hmmm, are there any female sporting news or events happening around this time of the year? It's a little early for recommending holiday book picks, isn't it?

* Scanning my Twitter feed I see that Monday night, the Golden Goggle Awards were presented by the USA Swimming Foundation to honor outstanding U.S. swimmers and their achievements from this past year. Simone Manuel won Female Race of the Year – watching that "live" this past summer was incredible and I knew the historical victory would inspire so many girls who see themselves in Simone.

* Who were the other women winners? They were all deserving honorees: Elizabeth Beisel (Team Leadership), Lilly King (Breakout Swimmer of the Year) and Katie Ladecky (Female Swimmer of the Year).

* I recently reviewed a book by Missy Franklin and recall she won a few Golden Goggle honors. A quick reference check reveals she was awarded Female Athlete of the Year (2011, 2012) and Breakout Performer of the Year (2010).

 * I pause, get a coffee refill, and peruse my email and whaddya know, there’s a notice from Booklist Online so I check to see if my latest review has been published. Yep! The November 15, 2016 issue of Booklist has my review of RELENTLESS SPIRIT: THEUNCONVENTIONAL RAISING OF A CHAMPION by Missy Franklin and her parents, DA and Dick Franklin. This up-beat memoir by Missy along with her parents is inspirational and a thoughtful reflection on how - together as a family - they achieved a healthy balance in life and sports. It may be subtitled unconventional but it's a model that worked successfully for their family.
To read the Booklist review: www.booklistonline.com/

* I’m curious if Missy went to the Golden Goggles and what she’s up to so I check her Twitter feed.

* Interesting! SpeedoUSA has launched the “Missy Franklin Signature Series” of swimwear. So naturally, I’ve got to check ‘em out!

And, that’s how it happens . . . from deciding on a topic to writing a blog entry to buying a new swimsuit or the other way around. RELENTLESS SPIRIT is scheduled for release in early December – keep an eye out for it! And I guess it's not too early to share this as an ideal gift to give to a sporty girl or yourself - a book by a delightful, grounded role model raised by two extraordinary parents!