Making Champions How South Africa S Sporting Heroes Are Made

This is a journey into the histories, hearts and homes of some of South Africa's greatest sporting heroes. Featuring the varied and very human stories of 13 icons of our time, including AB de Villiers, Ryan Sandes, 'Beast' Mtawarira, and Bridgitte Hartley, the book shows that it takes far more than natural talent to transform an athlete into the best that sport has to offer. Making Champions is an answer to the question: what goes into achieving champion status? It tells of the battles these sports stars have lost and won in their desire to set themselves apart from others just as gifted and aspiring for success. In the process, it equips all South Africans aiming to achieve in whatever field with the knowledge of the decisions and sacrifices these athletes have made, and the habits they have adopted on their way to the top.

How do children become sporting greats we revere and idolise?Childhood is the time of our lives that shapes us the most. By delving into the childhoods of the world's greatest ever athletes, The Making of Champions seeks to better understand the early moments that shaped their lives, in the process revealing how sporting champions are made. The answer is surprising. Despite the variety of sports under consideration, one common factor exists in all these athletes' stories - their Champion Mindset.The Making of Champions reveals the details of this mindset, who shaped it in their formative years and why it led to their success.The Making of Champions is an invaluable resource for those interested in understanding childhood development in sport, and how to develop the next great athlete.Featuring stories from:Michael JordanCristiano RonaldoLionel MessiLewis HamiltonSerena WilliamsPaula RadcliffeMichael PhelpsThe Brownlee BrothersRoger Bannister... and many more

It is the world's largest and oldest ultramarathon race. It is a festival celebrating the triumph of human spirit over adversity. It has a camaraderie that enables ordinary mortals to overcome human fragility and perform beyond their wildest expectations. In the words of Comrades marvel Bruce Fordyce, this race 'can inspire ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and it brings out the best in all of us. This race has a power to transform, to inspire and to motivate unlike any other'. The official Comrades Marathon: The Ultimate Human Race begins in 1921 and chronologically describes every race in detail, up to 2010's commemorative 85th event. All the legends are here, in their full Comrades glory and human frailty: Arthur Newton, Hardy Ballington, Wally Hayward, Jackie Mekler, Alan Robb, Frith van der Merwe, Bruce Fordyce, and others. But there is also deeply affectionate and admiring coverage of the backmarkers, the ones often called 'the real Comrades runners' - those 'ordinary people' behind the front-runners. This meticulously researched account will certainly inspire all types of athletes, but more than that, it will evoke a sense of wonder at what body and mind can achieve in pursuit of extreme challenge. The heartbreaking and heart-stopping moments are documented alongside the countless successes and triumphs, as well as a rich collection of humourous and quirky anecdotes from Comrades lore. An updated history of the Comrades Marathon is long overdue, and author John Cameron-Dow is uniquely qualified to write about this remarkable athletic event: he holds a prized green number - mark of a ten-time Comrades medallist.

Mike Finnigan has been working in performance psychology since 1991 and he has also worked in the elite sports arena in golf, cricket, rugby and football. His latest success is with Darren Clarke, who recently won golf's Open Championship. Mike believes that, with the help of their sporting heroes, young people can achieve anything they want in the sporting world. By interviewing many sporting celebrities he has discovered just what it was that helped them to make it. Mike says "We can all make up excuses but you have to want to win more than you want the alibi for losing. Once you do that, you give yourself a proper chance of winning." Find out the secrets of success of: Sir Clive Woodward, Martin Johnson CBE, David Moyes, Sir Tom Finney, Philip Neville, Gordon Banks, Gary Kirsten, Karen Barber, Dame Mary Peters, Jeremy Snape, Eric Simons, Beth Tweddle and Jonathan Davies MBE. Revised edition of ISBN 978-1-84590-064-9 with new and updated material.