Review: I’m Here to Win
July 16th, 2011 § 1 Comment
Title: I’m Here to Win: A World Champion’s Advice for Peak Performance
Author: Chris McCormack
Published: Center Street / 2011
Genre: Autobiography, Sports
Length: 288 pages
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 10/10
i’m not going to lie. i’m a Chris McCormack fangirl. so, this book had immediate appeal to me. as a slowpoke triathlete who lives one island over, watching the World Ironman Championships in Kona each year is a must. and watching Chris McCormack win last year was epic. so, when i heard that he wrote a book about his life and was proffering advice, you can bet i was one of the first to want to read the book.
Macca, as McCormack is known in the sport, is a professional athlete with decades of race experience. so, the most obvious thing about the book without even reading it is that he is not a writer. while this can sometimes work against an author, particularly when they are talking about themselves, Macca has an effortless style that makes his boasting seem less arrogant than we all know it is. (i mean, let’s be honest – the name of the book is I’m Here to Win - so there’s no skirting the fact that the book is a shrine to himself.)
To this day, some athletes can’t stand me because I speak candidly and on the record. I guess that’s why a lot of people in the sport regard me as cocky. But in reality, I’m not cocky at all. I’m smart.
while some might be put off by his unapologetic self-aggrandizing, i loved every minute of it and respected Macca even more for it. i was fascinated by the story behind the champion, the failures and successes, all of the things that make him human (even if he is a little superhuman). having lost his mother to cancer and missed his shot at the Australian Olympic team, Macca became less athlete superstar and more real in my mind. and as he struggled through the many failed attempts at Kona, i found myself cheering him on and booing his competitors. and having watched last year’s race live, reading the book was like stepping into the moment all over again, but with the unexpected insight of the two-time Ironman Champion.
also interspersed throughout the autobiography are McCormack’s yearly statistics, including race and training history and other fun facts, along with training tips that have been field tested by the champ himself. these segments were interesting and valuable resources for those actually interested in the practical application of training techniques.
The process of being a triathlete – training, surpassing limitations, developing strategy, finding the strength to endure the suffering – is transformative. You become a better person when you manage to do something as insane as swimming, biking, and running 140.6 miles in the same day.
as someone who trains and is aspiring to do my first half Ironman next year, I’m Here to Win really contextualized a lot of what triathlon means for me personally. it is a life-changing activity in the most unexpected and wonderful ways. you learn who you are and how you can be better. you overcome and you grow. and above all else, you stop hoping for better and you become better.
do yourself a favor and read this book. expect a cocky Aussie who can back up his arrogance with his performance and live to tell the tale. this book is amazing for the successful, aspiring, or wannabe athlete in all of us.
Hey — I saw him race live last year, too! The World Ironman Championships was an incredible experience, and I really enjoyed cheering on the last runners crossing the finish line that night. Hope your training for the half-Ironman is going well!