Roar: A Celebration of Great Sporting Women
By Author / Illustrator
Sam Quek
Genre
Biographies & Autobiographies
Age range(s)
14+
Publisher
Allen & Unwin
ISBN
9781838959173
Format
Paperback / softback
Published
20-06-2024
Synopsis
*SHORTLISTED for the Vikki Orvice Award for Women's Sports Writing at The British Sports Book Awards 2024*
From the tennis court to the boxing ring, the athletics track to the football pitch, the visibility of women in sport has been gathering pace. Women's competitions are increasingly popular.
In Roar, Sam Quek takes a deep dive into the experiences of some of sport's most high-profile female athletes - some have overcome heartbreaking adversity to reach the top of their game; others have succeeded in the face of prejudice. Like Sam, all have been propelled by sheer grit and determination to succeed. Many now campaign for women's equality and acceptance in sport, knowing the confidence it can bring young girls and the message that they can achieve anything.
Featuring a series of candid interviews from some of sport's most successful women, Sam lifts the lid on what it takes to reach those heights: from coping with puberty to foregoing teenage fun to pursue a dream; from the punishing physical training schedule to the mental power needed to win or bounce back from defeat; and coping with the pressure of the media spotlight. And, what it feels like in that magical moment when you step up to the podium knowing every sacrifice has been worth it.
Roar is a celebration of the bold and fearless - the women empowering future generations to follow in their footsteps - but it is also an inspiring look at how sport can change lives and challenge society.
'The stories here are vital to our understanding of women's sporting history' GABBY LOGAN
Reviews
Beverley
In this interesting and inspiring book, Roar: A Celebration of Great Sporting Women, former hockey international Sam Quek has interviewed 12 of her sporting heroines from a wide variety of sports. The women give an insight into their childhoods, how they got in to their chosen disciplines, and we see the many obstacles they had to overcome in order to reach the top. We are shown just how far women's sport has progressed over the years.
One of the most interesting chapters covers the career of Sheila Parker, MBE, who was the first captain of an England women's football team. She talks about how amazed she is at the evolution of the women's game, from the 1950's when women were banned from playing on the FA's associated grounds, to the incredible success of the Lionesses team today.
The sports covered include hockey, swimming, rowing, athletics, rugby, skateboarding and wheelchair racing, to name but a few, and each of the women interviewed give frank and honest accounts of their struggles and triumphs.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter covering the career of Fatima Whitbread, a javelin thrower who overcame a very difficult childhood to become an Olympic champion. This book would be appreciated by any sport-loving girl (or boy), although I felt that the 12+ age range suggested was a little too low – the book does feel like an adult read at times, and there is the occasional expletive which, taken in context is acceptable but may be jarring for the younger reader. I feel that a 14+ age range is more appropriate.
There is much to discuss in the book, however, and I could see it - or sections of it - being used in a classroom situation. Discrimination, inclusion, LGBTQ issues, and the power of social media are all raised within the various interviews and could lead to powerful classroom debates.
Each of the interviewees have inspirational stories, and most have a desire to see more girls being involved in sport at all levels. I enjoyed reading the book, and feel that sports lovers will learn a lot from it.
288 pages / Reviewed by Beverley Somerset, school librarian
Suggested Reading Age 14+