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Forward: A Memoir
Forward is the powerful story of an athlete who has inspired girls all over the world to believe in themselves. Abby shows us by example how to overcome problems and live a happier, braver life." —Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO, New York Times Bestselling author of Lean In
“This is the best memoir I’ve read by an athlete since Andre Agassi’s Open. I could not put it down, and you will not want it to end.”� —Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take
Abby Wambach has always pushed the limits of what is possible. At age seven she was put on the boys� soccer team. At age thirty-five she would become the highest goal scorer—male or female—in the history of soccer, capturing the nation’s heart with her team’s 2015 World Cup Championship. Called an inspiration and “badass� by President Obama, Abby has become a fierce advocate for women’s rights and equal opportunity, pushing to translate the success of her team to the real world.
As she reveals in this searching memoir, Abby’s professional success often masked her inner struggle to reconcile the various parts of herself: ferocious competitor, daughter, leader, wife. With stunning candor, Abby shares her inspiring and often brutal journey from girl in Rochester, New York, to world-class athlete. Far more than a sports memoir, Forward is gripping tale of resilience and redemption—and a reminder that heroism is, above all, about embracing life’s challenges with fearlessness and heart.
“This is the best memoir I’ve read by an athlete since Andre Agassi’s Open. I could not put it down, and you will not want it to end.”� —Adam Grant, Wharton professor and New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take
Abby Wambach has always pushed the limits of what is possible. At age seven she was put on the boys� soccer team. At age thirty-five she would become the highest goal scorer—male or female—in the history of soccer, capturing the nation’s heart with her team’s 2015 World Cup Championship. Called an inspiration and “badass� by President Obama, Abby has become a fierce advocate for women’s rights and equal opportunity, pushing to translate the success of her team to the real world.
As she reveals in this searching memoir, Abby’s professional success often masked her inner struggle to reconcile the various parts of herself: ferocious competitor, daughter, leader, wife. With stunning candor, Abby shares her inspiring and often brutal journey from girl in Rochester, New York, to world-class athlete. Far more than a sports memoir, Forward is gripping tale of resilience and redemption—and a reminder that heroism is, above all, about embracing life’s challenges with fearlessness and heart.
179 pages, ebook
First published September 13, 2016
491 people are currently reading
5,985 people want to read
About the author
Abby Wambach
13books583followersABBY WAMBACH is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA World Cup Champion, and the highest all-time international goal scorer for male and female soccer players. She is an activist for equality and inclusion and the New York Times bestselling author of Forward: A Memoir. Abby is co-founder of Wolfpack Endeavor, which is revolutionizing leadership development for women in the workplace and beyond through her champion mindset, individualized coaching, and team-bound focus. Abby lives in Florida with her wife and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 791 reviews
February 6, 2017
My best friend gave me this book as a Christmas present, and I'm so glad she did. I enjoyed reading it, however I can't say I am a bigger fan of AW after reading it. I am not used to reading memoirs, but I can't help but think this book is self-serving. I was disappointed by the lack of real reflection in this book. I think it emphasizes (at least to me) the danger of fame and recognition. I did like the way that she split the chapters into different "labels", I thought that was well thought out. However, I think waiting a few years after she retired would have given a deeper understanding and time to reflect on her past and career. It felt rushed, and I'm not sure if got to the deepest issues.
September 15, 2016
This was not the memoir I expected from soccer legend, Abby Wambach. Soccer is front and center yes, but so too is the incredible pressure Wambach put on herself to perform at the highest level and the accumulated self-destructive behaviors that were quite surprising and sad. This is not a celebratory highlight reel but a gripping and very open look into how our celebrated sports icons bear a large personal burden to reach that stature.
October 18, 2016
It's hard to review this book because, even after reading it, I'm extremely biased in Abby's favor. I'm not giving the book 5 stars because it's a great literary read. Nor is it "heartwarming". Instead, it's crude, blunt, honest, and down to earth.
Since I was a little girl, Abby Wambach has been my hero, on and off the field. She was big, a tomboy who made her presence known with her body and her voice. As a girl trying to play soccer with all the boys, I always wanted to be like Abby because it seemed like nothing ever got her down. She always picked herself up again and kept playing. Of course she was my hero. Why wouldn't a strong, fierce, independent woman who is demolishing records in your favorite sport be?
So when I read this book, all I could think was "Finally, I get to see what my made my hero the woman she is today!" I can't say it wasn't hard to read pages on pages of alcoholism, depression, and self-hatred. When I finished, I had to process what I read. I had to understand why it didn't make me feel disappointed or upset with Abby. The saying, "Never meet your heroes" ran through my mind, because I believed that knowing about Abby's internal war with herself would make me hate her or no longer want her to be associated with the USWNT. Instead, it was the opposite. I became more proud of her. To know that this woman who set international records, who advocates for equal pay and for gay rights, who (to me at least) has been the face of women's soccer around the globe for over a decade, to know that she is just as damaged as a normal human, made her more real to me than ever.
I had placed her on this pedestal of "#1 perfect human being" because, to the little girl that still lives in my mind, that was what she was. I still have a 10+ year old poster of her in my "adult" apartment. Reading this book, reading her statements about her life, didn't knock her down from that pedestal that I put her on. It just put her on a different one: "#1 imperfect human being". And I realize that all this sounds super sappy and that I might be over thinking a lot in the book, but I read this book at a time in life when I needed to see for myself that heroes aren't always what they seem.
Countless times, Abby was knocked down on her ass. And countless times, she got up again. So, for that, for this book, and for being the hero every little girl needs, Thanks Abby.
Since I was a little girl, Abby Wambach has been my hero, on and off the field. She was big, a tomboy who made her presence known with her body and her voice. As a girl trying to play soccer with all the boys, I always wanted to be like Abby because it seemed like nothing ever got her down. She always picked herself up again and kept playing. Of course she was my hero. Why wouldn't a strong, fierce, independent woman who is demolishing records in your favorite sport be?
So when I read this book, all I could think was "Finally, I get to see what my made my hero the woman she is today!" I can't say it wasn't hard to read pages on pages of alcoholism, depression, and self-hatred. When I finished, I had to process what I read. I had to understand why it didn't make me feel disappointed or upset with Abby. The saying, "Never meet your heroes" ran through my mind, because I believed that knowing about Abby's internal war with herself would make me hate her or no longer want her to be associated with the USWNT. Instead, it was the opposite. I became more proud of her. To know that this woman who set international records, who advocates for equal pay and for gay rights, who (to me at least) has been the face of women's soccer around the globe for over a decade, to know that she is just as damaged as a normal human, made her more real to me than ever.
I had placed her on this pedestal of "#1 perfect human being" because, to the little girl that still lives in my mind, that was what she was. I still have a 10+ year old poster of her in my "adult" apartment. Reading this book, reading her statements about her life, didn't knock her down from that pedestal that I put her on. It just put her on a different one: "#1 imperfect human being". And I realize that all this sounds super sappy and that I might be over thinking a lot in the book, but I read this book at a time in life when I needed to see for myself that heroes aren't always what they seem.
Countless times, Abby was knocked down on her ass. And countless times, she got up again. So, for that, for this book, and for being the hero every little girl needs, Thanks Abby.
February 10, 2017
This book came recommended as a great athlete’s biography for a reading challenge. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to broadening my horizons. Wambach came off as an egotistical jerk in the book, never really seeming to learn her lesson about giving credit to others (even as she pretended to do so). A lot of the book was told in direct quotes from emails, text messages, and speeches � conveying that Wambach felt her words were genius and that the little things in her life were of the utmost importance, while glossing over the hard work that made her into an extraordinary soccer player. Not a fan at all of this book.
August 28, 2018
this is a completely authentic memoir about the personal & professional struggles (triumphs, too!) of abby wambach. also, to date, abby is the highest all-time scorer for men & women. 184 goals. read this memoir if you are interested in the woman behind the athlete. it's all there & abby goes deep with her candor & honesty.
September 14, 2016
Memoirs are always weird, and this is no exception? Abby Wambach is a Certified Trainwreck.
November 14, 2016
I found this book annoying. Not very well written or introspective. While I understand that a person can act like a leader but internally feel unworthy, she describes herself as if being a leader just sort of happens automatically and has nothing to do with what's going on in her head. She quotes some of her own public statements in which what she's saying doesn't seem to match her thoughts at all, and it's unclear if she's just mouthing platitudes or has actually thought about what she's saying. Also, despite all the drinking and pills it wasn't really clear why she was having a hard time. I respect her not wanting to share details of her fights with Sarah, and also her portrayal of it as all her fault, but it was hard to connect to her story when I actually had almost no idea what the marital conflict was about.
September 13, 2016
Incredibly surprised with her candor in this memoir. I was expecting the usual boring life story kind of bio, but she really exposes herself--both the good and bad parts. I respect her even more after her vulnerability in sharing her struggles with the world.
December 17, 2018
Throughout the whole the book, I grew to dislike the Abby Wambach more and more. She was whiny and never took into account her own faults in most incidents of her life. While she is a fantastic soccer player her personality that was conveyed through the book was not a reflection of her skill. Her overall lack of a character in regards to her coping methods and her inability to accept change made this book a bust.
September 26, 2019
This book had me hooked from the jump but it became a disappointing slog before long. While I appreciate Wambach's candor, transparency, and (frequent-but-definitely-not-always) self awareness, I was ultimately let down by this memoir's writing. It seems as though she gave up on using her notes as a tool and instead frequently transcribed entire speeches, press conferences, text exchanges or tweets - sometimes quoted pieces going on for pages at a time.
Certain weaknesses/challenges/mistakes she is glad to own up to: her struggles with addiction and self-acceptance are in the forefront here. Other missteps barely seem to register on her radar - hypocrisy around [perceived] infidelity and her own unsettling xenophobic proclamations come to mind. (She only mentions her own tweet complaining about too many "foreign guys" playing for the US Men's team to contextualize a tweet she felt was unjustly attacking her.)
Wambach is a champion for gender equality, but her "I don't care what color you are" asides leave me concerned that she's firmly in the white feminism camp.
This book was ....fine! If you're particularly interested in women's soccer or addiction, give it a go. If not, ¯\_(�)_/¯
Certain weaknesses/challenges/mistakes she is glad to own up to: her struggles with addiction and self-acceptance are in the forefront here. Other missteps barely seem to register on her radar - hypocrisy around [perceived] infidelity and her own unsettling xenophobic proclamations come to mind. (She only mentions her own tweet complaining about too many "foreign guys" playing for the US Men's team to contextualize a tweet she felt was unjustly attacking her.)
Wambach is a champion for gender equality, but her "I don't care what color you are" asides leave me concerned that she's firmly in the white feminism camp.
This book was ....fine! If you're particularly interested in women's soccer or addiction, give it a go. If not, ¯\_(�)_/¯
April 21, 2020
It's jarring to hear that such a successful athlete had so much turmoil in her personal life. Her doubts and fears coupled with her immense success are reminders that our feelings do not need to dictate the outcome of our lives. We can push through the pain, physical or mental, and come out on top. We can fall, spectacularly, and be better for being able to pick ourselves up. Not only is Abby Wambach an amazing soccer player but as it turns out, she's smart, thoughtful, introspective, and encouraging. One thing that I noticed, though, is that she talked about her body as being separate from herself. Despite the healing and work that she has done on herself, she still can't seem to consolidate that her body is part of her and that she is part of her body. She credits her body for accomplishments while chastising her mind for her failings.
Abby, you are your body, and your body is you. You can be both flawed and incredibly amazing.
Thank you, Abby, for such a beautifully written memoir, for playing your hardest even when your heart wasn't in it, for picking yourself up, and reminding us that we can do it, too.
Abby, you are your body, and your body is you. You can be both flawed and incredibly amazing.
Thank you, Abby, for such a beautifully written memoir, for playing your hardest even when your heart wasn't in it, for picking yourself up, and reminding us that we can do it, too.
July 28, 2021
Yet another installment in my series of reading memoirs from out LGBTQ+ professional athletes. I’m not really a soccer fan, I don’t think I’ve watched a full match since I was playing as a kid like 20 years ago. But I’ve always enjoyed watching snippets of the US Women’s National Team and hearing about the causes that they’ve fought for.
I appreciated how Abby felt very candid about sharing things that didn’t always paint herself in a positive light. The stories of partying, drinking, using drugs, and being arrested were things she could’ve tried to minimize or not put a large focus on, but they were definitely very present throughout.
This is a pretty short book to cover a lengthy career so some things felt like they were only scratching the surface instead of doing deeper. At times this contributed to me not feeling totally engaged, especially when large chunks of text were just transcripts of emails, text messages, or speeches from Abby or other people. It made portions of the book feel more like reporting rather than analyzing things in hindsight. But overall this was an interesting read and I definitely came away from it with even more respect for the USWNT.
I appreciated how Abby felt very candid about sharing things that didn’t always paint herself in a positive light. The stories of partying, drinking, using drugs, and being arrested were things she could’ve tried to minimize or not put a large focus on, but they were definitely very present throughout.
This is a pretty short book to cover a lengthy career so some things felt like they were only scratching the surface instead of doing deeper. At times this contributed to me not feeling totally engaged, especially when large chunks of text were just transcripts of emails, text messages, or speeches from Abby or other people. It made portions of the book feel more like reporting rather than analyzing things in hindsight. But overall this was an interesting read and I definitely came away from it with even more respect for the USWNT.
January 4, 2017
This didn't include as much soccer as I thought it would, which actually makes it a better book. Abby (and her ghost writer) provide a very honest, open account of her struggles and victories, and it all comes from the heart.
April 18, 2023
All athlete memoirs should be ghostwritten and that’s final
January 15, 2019
Let me just say that Abby Wambach is effing amazing.
For someone who has built her image up as a "tough girl", the admissions here in this book come across as raw and deeply moving. In other memoirs, authors often go through every minute detail of their pain and anguish, this is not this book. However, Abby's simple recognition of her issues and how they affect her relationships, career, and self-image, are more than enough to inspire.
Many people suggest that her words of encouragement and faith are just fluff, but one look at her today proves that she lives by what she professes in this book. From the two years that this book has been published, shes continued on the path of being an advocate for women's rights in the workplace, and has married fellow author (and they have such a supportive, authentic relationship and family!!!). Abby Wambach has no doubt become one of my favorite role models, and I cant wait to see what comes next!
...Hopefully a co-authored book with Glennon please and thank you! :)
For someone who has built her image up as a "tough girl", the admissions here in this book come across as raw and deeply moving. In other memoirs, authors often go through every minute detail of their pain and anguish, this is not this book. However, Abby's simple recognition of her issues and how they affect her relationships, career, and self-image, are more than enough to inspire.
Many people suggest that her words of encouragement and faith are just fluff, but one look at her today proves that she lives by what she professes in this book. From the two years that this book has been published, shes continued on the path of being an advocate for women's rights in the workplace, and has married fellow author (and they have such a supportive, authentic relationship and family!!!). Abby Wambach has no doubt become one of my favorite role models, and I cant wait to see what comes next!
...Hopefully a co-authored book with Glennon please and thank you! :)
August 20, 2019
I liked learning more of Abby's story and hearing her tell it herself. The local connection was kind of fun. The writing is not great--- many parts jump around and are glossed over and not explained. I would have liked a little less "A then B then C then back to A" and more in depth analysis of the rough patches in her life. Her inclusion of prior emails seemed weird and sometimes condescending to the receiver. I appreciated Abby's vulnerability when telling about: 1) her struggles with alcohol and pills while attempting to maintain the physical calling of being a professional athlete. 2) the feeling that she didn't really love soccer, but played it because she was good at it and that's how she felt she could gain love and acceptance in life. 3) how scary a life transition can be, especially when you're known for one thing and one thing only.
Each chapter is titled a different label she gives herself for that stage in life and this prompted great discussion about the labels we give others, the ones we give ourselves, and which of them deserve our recognition or acceptance.
Each chapter is titled a different label she gives herself for that stage in life and this prompted great discussion about the labels we give others, the ones we give ourselves, and which of them deserve our recognition or acceptance.
February 19, 2021
Wambach leads with vulnerability throughout this memoir, shedding light on events and innermost thoughts often shrouded in shame. Through courageously sharing her faults, regrets, and mistakes � all of our darkest emotions � Wambach paves a way for the light to seep in. I am inspired.
October 6, 2016
Speechless & sobbing. Thank you for being so brave with your story, Abby. More thoughts soon.
December 3, 2016
Raw, honest, gripping, inspiring and real. I particulalry enjoyed her narration on the audiobook.
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February 4, 2025I actually read this when it first came out and i enjoyed it both times but now i feel old remembering that she retired 10 years ago. Also, Haley this book is much better than untamed it’s more of like a reflection on her soccer playing years than a preachy and self helpy book. I’m surprised a lot of the time by the behind the scenes feelings of athletes toward their sports/during their playing time because i feel like isn’t often reflected in their performance and person during that time but it’s really interesting to read their viewpoints of certain events and games and how it contrasts with my view of those times.
April 30, 2021
AS IF I can love Abby Wambach any more than I already do!!! This book was raw, honest, and I loved reading it!! It was truly a breath of fresh air to read something so real! It left me feeling inspired, courageous, and grateful!
March 12, 2017
As a soccer player myself, I have a lot of admiration for seeing how Wambach took on the extraordinarily different task of writing a book in the first place. While the book was not the MOST well-written book I have ever read, it certainly included a number of details that captivated, elicited humor from, and propelled the reader forward (pun intended!) Though there was some discussion of memorable games and on-the-field moments for Wambach, she does a great job of keeping those descriptions short (condensing an entire 90 minute match into just 2 or 3 pages) in order to keep the interest of those readers who may not know the game (or care about sports in general) well enough to be excited about the gamesmanship, momentum, crests and troughs of any competitive team sport. The only detail I wished I had known more about in Wambach's life was regarding the specifics of her trouble with Sarah (her wife); however, I can respect that Wambach wanted to allow Sarah her own privacy in the situation. And I definitely respect how open, unashamed, and accountable Wambach is throughout her (very public) career in soccer and now in political activism as well as with herself and her readers in this book.
I remember hearing about the DUI Wambach was charged with and reading her public statement about the incident after it happened. When I re-read the exact same words in this book her authenticity and willingness to learn from every mistake she makes (and encourage those around her to learn from her mistakes as well) was reinforced. I have obviously been impressed with Wambach as a soccer player (as everyone should be since she holds the highest number of professional goals of any man or woman in the world!), but I am happy to see that, though she has made some unenviable mistakes (primarily with her addictions) that could negatively effect young children (especially girls) who look up to her, she has (finally) sobered up and is working actively to talk openly about how damaging her addictions were and is trying to confront gender inequalities in professional sports and other social arenas in order to counter her negative qualities and past with something positive to offer those impressionable followers who look up to her. Though I would never offer her behaviors as a template for young athletes, I do think she demonstrates the best way to publicly handle misbehavior when you are in the "athlete's glass house"--accept, apologize, commit to making better decisions, and capitalize on your strengths.
One of the best excerpts I have read in a while:
"Trapeze artists are so amazing in so many ways, she says, because they are grounded to one rung for a long time, and in order to get to the other rung they have to let go. What makes them so brilliant and beautiful and courageous and strong is that they execute flips in the middle. They middle is their magic. And if you're brave enough to let go that first rung, she concludes, you can create your own magic in the middle."
Finally, I liked how each chapter of Wambach's book explored a different label she accepted for a period of her life. We all adopt and nurture certain labels that make us feel like better people and we are tagged with labels from others that we often allow to make us feel like worse people. I think Wambach would tell us that the trick is to just see the label as a word, evaluate its truthfulness, and find a positive spin for each one. Words can only hurt us if we let them. At the end of the day, the labels that define us are the ones we give ourselves alone.
I remember hearing about the DUI Wambach was charged with and reading her public statement about the incident after it happened. When I re-read the exact same words in this book her authenticity and willingness to learn from every mistake she makes (and encourage those around her to learn from her mistakes as well) was reinforced. I have obviously been impressed with Wambach as a soccer player (as everyone should be since she holds the highest number of professional goals of any man or woman in the world!), but I am happy to see that, though she has made some unenviable mistakes (primarily with her addictions) that could negatively effect young children (especially girls) who look up to her, she has (finally) sobered up and is working actively to talk openly about how damaging her addictions were and is trying to confront gender inequalities in professional sports and other social arenas in order to counter her negative qualities and past with something positive to offer those impressionable followers who look up to her. Though I would never offer her behaviors as a template for young athletes, I do think she demonstrates the best way to publicly handle misbehavior when you are in the "athlete's glass house"--accept, apologize, commit to making better decisions, and capitalize on your strengths.
One of the best excerpts I have read in a while:
"Trapeze artists are so amazing in so many ways, she says, because they are grounded to one rung for a long time, and in order to get to the other rung they have to let go. What makes them so brilliant and beautiful and courageous and strong is that they execute flips in the middle. They middle is their magic. And if you're brave enough to let go that first rung, she concludes, you can create your own magic in the middle."
Finally, I liked how each chapter of Wambach's book explored a different label she accepted for a period of her life. We all adopt and nurture certain labels that make us feel like better people and we are tagged with labels from others that we often allow to make us feel like worse people. I think Wambach would tell us that the trick is to just see the label as a word, evaluate its truthfulness, and find a positive spin for each one. Words can only hurt us if we let them. At the end of the day, the labels that define us are the ones we give ourselves alone.
November 23, 2019
I first heard of Abby Wambach while a friend and I followed the 2015 Women's World Cup since that was the first year the women would get full coverage. Said friend and I quickly let Wambach become one of our favorite players because of her LGBT+ advocacy. I'm glad to had read this memoir because there is so much more to her. This book isn't just for soccer fans, it is for everyone. I'm also very appreciative that she opened up about so many difficult topics in such a public way. She is an inspiration in so many ways, and I am sure that she will continue to be such for years to come.
June 29, 2019
Reading Women 2019: About a Woman Athlete
My last book to complete the Reading Women 2019 Challenge!! I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. I’m a bit embarrassed to say I only really became aware of Wambach after she began dating and married Glennon Doyle, whom I’ve loved for several years. My husband, a soccer fan, certainly was much more aware of Wambach and her accomplishments and her DUI in early 2016.
Throughout reading the entire book, I was so struck by her similarities to Doyle, albeit in a completely different context. While Wambach struggles were in the world of sports, Doyle’s experiences centered in family and motherhood. I can absolutely understand now how they fell so deeply in love so quickly. Wambach writes openly and honestly not only about her addiction, but her devastating childhood feeling of being unloved and unlovable, and how she had to come to terms with that to stop abusing her body. Add to that the fact that I listened to the audiobook, which she reads, and this book is a profound experience.
Of course, you also can’t talk about Wambach without talking about soccer, and her love and yet sometimes hate of the sport shines throughout the book. It was such nice timing for me to listen to this book during the 2019 Women’s World Cup. I felt like I learned about the true experience of what it means to be a professional women’s soccer player in the US, but without the book becoming pedantic or dragged down in complicated sports terminology. I found myself completely able to relate to Wambach’s emotional ambivalence about the game as well as her hard lessons in learning how to best succeed at her chosen profession and then finally her realization that she could not play soccer at that level forever as her body slowed down. It’s a universal human experience to always realize sometimes we have to “lead from the bench� and someone younger, faster and smarter is always coming up behind us.
I can’t recommend this book enough, and especially the audiobook. You won’t regret your time spent here!!
My last book to complete the Reading Women 2019 Challenge!! I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did. I’m a bit embarrassed to say I only really became aware of Wambach after she began dating and married Glennon Doyle, whom I’ve loved for several years. My husband, a soccer fan, certainly was much more aware of Wambach and her accomplishments and her DUI in early 2016.
Throughout reading the entire book, I was so struck by her similarities to Doyle, albeit in a completely different context. While Wambach struggles were in the world of sports, Doyle’s experiences centered in family and motherhood. I can absolutely understand now how they fell so deeply in love so quickly. Wambach writes openly and honestly not only about her addiction, but her devastating childhood feeling of being unloved and unlovable, and how she had to come to terms with that to stop abusing her body. Add to that the fact that I listened to the audiobook, which she reads, and this book is a profound experience.
Of course, you also can’t talk about Wambach without talking about soccer, and her love and yet sometimes hate of the sport shines throughout the book. It was such nice timing for me to listen to this book during the 2019 Women’s World Cup. I felt like I learned about the true experience of what it means to be a professional women’s soccer player in the US, but without the book becoming pedantic or dragged down in complicated sports terminology. I found myself completely able to relate to Wambach’s emotional ambivalence about the game as well as her hard lessons in learning how to best succeed at her chosen profession and then finally her realization that she could not play soccer at that level forever as her body slowed down. It’s a universal human experience to always realize sometimes we have to “lead from the bench� and someone younger, faster and smarter is always coming up behind us.
I can’t recommend this book enough, and especially the audiobook. You won’t regret your time spent here!!
January 24, 2018
Dear Abby,
You have always been one of my biggest idols. This book has opened my eyes to the real Abby and I hope I get to meet you one day. You are so brave for writing about such vulnerable times in your life. Thank you for sharing your story including your ups and downs. Listening to your stories made me think about where I was in my life during your big milestones. It made me thinking about my life and past with all the ups and downs. Talking about the Gold Medal win in England and the World Cup win in Canada always fills me up with joy and happy tears as I was there to see you and the team first hand. I had no idea how much you had to go through and give up to be that soccer player. Now, I can respect and admire you more as a person rather than just an athlete. Thank you for this book and all of you have done for me over the years. You will always be an inspiration and hold a special place in my heart. Thank you Abby.
Always, Steph
You have always been one of my biggest idols. This book has opened my eyes to the real Abby and I hope I get to meet you one day. You are so brave for writing about such vulnerable times in your life. Thank you for sharing your story including your ups and downs. Listening to your stories made me think about where I was in my life during your big milestones. It made me thinking about my life and past with all the ups and downs. Talking about the Gold Medal win in England and the World Cup win in Canada always fills me up with joy and happy tears as I was there to see you and the team first hand. I had no idea how much you had to go through and give up to be that soccer player. Now, I can respect and admire you more as a person rather than just an athlete. Thank you for this book and all of you have done for me over the years. You will always be an inspiration and hold a special place in my heart. Thank you Abby.
Always, Steph
September 21, 2017
I listened to this audiobook all in one go while under the weather in bed, and it was just great. I'm not a huge sports person in general, and I chose this as a potential contender for the sports category for the 2017 Read Harder challenge - and I'm glad I did. Wambach's book is about sports - but not only sports. This is really a moving memoir, full of the search for love and belonging, self-knowledge and worthiness. I metaphorically bit my nails during her games, cheered with her successes, cried during her low points. There are a LOT of feelings in this books, which aren't always my #1 fave, but if you can hang with them, it's worth it. Highly recommend. The book is read by the author, and it took me a minute to get into the groove of her speech cadence, I got there and it was very listenable.
November 30, 2016
Poorly written. My biggest complaint is that all of the people in the book are one-dimensional and it's really hard to tell them apart. My second biggest complaint is that there is so little reflection or emotion in the book that it's hard to feel invested in Abby or anyone else--it feels like a list of events. From what I've heard in other sources, Abby is a wonderful person and I don't think this book paints a good picture of her at all.
February 6, 2017
My sister went to see Abby talk and bought this book with Abby's autograph for me. Thanks Gail! I'm a huge Women's soccer fan! I loved reliving the amazing soccer moments through Abby's eyes. It was also interesting to hear her struggles with alcohol and personal trials. She seems like a really strong and courageous woman. I have tremendous respect for her.
September 28, 2016
I love women's soccer and I thought this book was amazing. It was fascinating to read about Abby's successes and mistakes and I definitely respect her more as a person after reading this. Recommended even if you aren't a fan of women's soccer, but especially recommended if you are.
November 14, 2017
I really appreciated the rawness, honesty, and grit of this book, of Abby Wambach. I think this book came into my life at just the right time, and I am only a little bit embarassed to admit that once or twice it made me do the ugly cry.
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