Gold medal-winning Olympic speed skater Apolo Ohno shares the
inspiring personal story behind his enduring success as an elite athlete
and reveals the universal life lessons he has learned through his
training and competition.
"Zero regrets. It's a philosophy not just about sport but about life.
School, business, academics, love--anything and everything. It's
complicated and yet not. You have to figure out who it is you want to
be. Not what you want to be--who. There has to be a vision, a dream, a
plan. Then you chase that with everything you've got."
Over three consecutive Olympic games, Apolo Ohno has come to symbolize
the very best of the competitive spirit--remaining equally gracious in
victory and defeat, always striving to improve his performance, and
appreciating the value of the hard work of training as much as any
reward it might bring. In Zero Regrets, Apolo shares the inspiring
personal story behind his remarkable success, as well as the hard-won
truths and strategies he has discovered in good times and bad.
Raised by his single father, an immigrant from Japan who often worked
twelve-hour days, the young Apolo found it difficult to balance his
enormous natural gifts as an athlete with an admittedly wild, rebellious
streak. After making a name for himself as a promising young speed
skater, his career was almost over before it began when his lack of
preparation caused him to finish last at the U.S. Olympic trials in
1998. A life-changing week of solitary soul-searching at the age of
fifteen led him to recommit himself to his training, and at the 1999
world junior championships he won first place overall--one of the most
remarkable turnarounds in sports history. From that moment on, the world
of speed skating had a new champion and Apolo was on his way to
legendary status.
Much more than an account of races won and lost, Zero Regrets is a
compelling portrait of a father-and-son relationship that deepened over
time and was based on respect, love, and unshakable faith in each other.
For the first time, Apolo reveals what he knows about his long-absent
mother; he makes us feel what it is like to face the best competitors on
the planet with the eyes of millions of fans upon you; and he shares his
secrets for achieving total focus and mental toughness, secrets that can
be applied in situations well beyond sports. We learn the details of the
unbelievably intense workout and diet that he endured while training for
the 2010 Winter Olympics, a regime that literally reshaped his body and
led to some of his most thrilling victories.
In this deeply personal and entertaining book, Apolo shows how we can
all come closer to living with zero regrets. While Apolo's own journey
may be unique, the insights he has gleaned along the way have the power
to help us all feel like champions every day.
