Customer Reviews

Age Is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage In Your Life

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First off, the title is misleading - this is not a motivational or a how-to book. It's a memoir. I knew this beforehand so it wasn't an issue but others could be confused. Dara Torres won three silver medals at the 2008 Olympics - an incredible achievement, especially since she was 41 at the time. I was curious about her story and hoping to be inspired at the same time. Unfortunately, I was distracted by the poor writing (even with the help of a co-writer) and the extremely disorganized chapters. There were also strange gaps. For example, she goes into detail about her first marriage and subsequent divorce but later in the book only mentions in passing that she got married and divorced to someone else in the meantime. (I'm not saying that she's obliged to provide personal info but the inconsistency was odd). I wanted to know how, after not swimming for 7 years (literally not a single lap) she launched straight into training with her team. Wouldn't she be extremely out of practice? This is never addressed. I ended up feeling very frustrated.This could have been so much more.

I thought this book would be light and fluffy like a little purry kitty cat. I thought I knew her story. Surprisingly, I was blown away with the accolades that Dara Torres deserves for her life story. A jock is just a jock but not in these pages. What unfolds in the Torres story are the dreams of a little girl who chooses not to grow up in a privileged way that is a platter that could be served before her but with discipline that she defines through a rigorous swim schedule at a very early age in her young life. We see her in her early days flopping around near her radiant young mother only to swim away from her with bigger dreams. Never before will you read an athlete's autobiography and see a competitive spirit that defines this Olympian just build and build. You feel her sweat. It's all too real. Away from her parent's glamorous life, is the story of one young woman striving for dreams that mere mortals only dare to dream. Although the Olympic medals are draped around her neck so young, we see her then battle demons that come with the ugly side of fame, and her almost demise with bulimia. We see her as an everyday us, facing divorce, and problems with the sometime complications of pregnancy. Each time Dara Torres sets off off on an Olympic quest, the chapters read like an Indiana Jones chapter, with her always overcoming some odds that are there for her to face. Age Is Just A Number but Dara Torres proves that her very presence is for us to bear witness to such a remarkable life story both in and out of the pool.

If you've read the most recent Michael Phelps book, No Limits, don't let that dissuade you from reading this. And if you're choosing between the two, choose this one. The Phelps book is really just a "sports" book (with all the negative connotations that brings), while this is much more -- infinitely more interesting, and much better written as well. Torres and her co-author, Elizabeth Weil (who I suspect deserves a lot of credit for making this the book it is), have produced a highly readable, inspirational story that stretches from the early years of Torres's success through the 2008 Olympics. There's also a surprising level of candor about the ups and down Torres has experienced, from eating disorders to her marriages breaking up. Will non-swimmers like this? I think so, but I don't really know. I'm a swimmer, and so I was really impressed with the detailed descriptions of what Torres did to prepare for her success. Long story short, it took a level of commitment that few people could ever make. Nor is this a book just for women. Your reviewer is male, through and through, and there was nothing in this that smacked of any kind of feathery "women's power" type messages.

For those interested in reading more about swimming and the commitment needed to reach world-class levels, two other books worth reading are Gold in the Water by P.H. Mullen and Champions by Daniel Chambliss (Torres is featured in both). Both are extremely well reported, and well written as well, though long out of print.

Reading about Dara's life is definitely a roller coaster of emotions. As she points out, there is always something good to counter what is bad. The birth of Tessa followed by the death of her father. Making Beijing, followed by her coach Michael Lohberg, becoming extremely ill. This is the yin and the yang that makes up Dara Torres. She speaks openly about her first marriage to an abusive husband and her attempts to keep peace. Her struggles with infertility as she watched her brothers and sister have kids. And her most triumphant moment when Tessa was placed on her chest for the first time after giving birth. These are just a few of the moments she relates to her fans that make you realize that she's not always Wonder Woman in a Speedo. She also talks of her fears of letting so many down as her story became bigger than life and much more important than she herself anticipated. Dara didn't set out to be a superhero to middle-aged America. But, once she accepted her new role, she embraced it. Throughout her struggles and triumphs she remained focused on her one goal of winning and wanting nothing less. Her ability to handle adversity and still come out on top is what makes this woman so amazing. And throughout it all keeping her sense of humor whether it be discussing her giant swimsuit while pregnant or walking in on the guy in the bathroom while in a rush to get ready for her race in Beijing. The title of 'role model' is used loosely in America but if you were to choose one role model to follow, especially for your daughters to follow, it's Dara Torres. Do yourself and your teenage daughters a favor and make "Age is Just a Number" mandatory reading.

Fascinating, inspirting if you wish for it to be and enjoyable. A fast read that gave a good insight into how Dara thinks, which, since she is who she is and has done what she has done is very interesting/fascinating. Yes, it confirms that her whole life is no where near what anyone would call "normal," but that can't be blamed on her (grew up rich, with model looks and then made millions on her own) and her drive is truly admirable, if a bit over the top (as I believe is necessary for Olympians to be, well, Olympians). Anyway, I think the book is worth buying/reading, but wouldn't call it a "great" book.

I'm a 62 year old male who has never won anything ever. I train for the enjoyment and to compete with myself. Each word of this book motivates me to get out and train. She has so many challenges in life, but meets these challenges with strength and energy. Her story of her dad's death brought me to tears.

I'm elevating my workouts. I've bought the audio version so I can listen in the car.

Thanks Dara. You are amazing.

Tom

Dara Torres is a world class athlete and in this book she shares her secrets to success. They aren't real secrets though. This woman has trained extremely hard all of her life to be on top. And the hard work has paid off for her.

In "Age Is Just a Number" Dara talks about how she got started in swimming, and details her journey from a novice to a professional swimmer. It was pretty interesting to me to read about the amount of training that goes into becoming a professional athlete. In the book Torres also explains how she prepares for competitions and what it's like to compete in the Olympics.

The only complaint that I have is the fact that she didn't get very specific concerning her nutrition. I would have loved to find out how exactly she fuels her body. She does seem to push Living Fuel though, which is the only supplement she mentions by name.

Overall, I enjoyed learning about Dara. She impressed me with her commitment and drive. Reading this book will make you realize that there is no reason to put an age limit on your dreams. You can be successful at any age!

Dara shares her path to victory after victory in this compelling, honest and inspirational work. Her story is bound to bring hope to readers, both athletes and the general public, as it unearths the fears, dreams, and challenges of a woman trying to meet her goals in life. We could learn a valuable lesson from Dara: life is what we make it... if we let age define us, then we will be old when we've been told to be old and we will be finished attempting to attain our goal when the world says 'you're too old to follow that dream!'

I was a swimmer for many years and I had posters of swimmers on my bedroom walls...and they included Dara Torres. She was a role model to me as kid swimming my heart out to get a college scholarship and she continues to be one now that I am past my prime (well, in retirement I should say...never past my prime, eh?) I got goose bumps watching her in Beijing just as I did watching her in person at the 92 Trials in Indy (I later competed in the same pool).... She is an amazing athlete. I can relate to her on many levels and reading her story, in her own words, brought it to a much different level. I am in training for my first half marathon and let me tell you, after reading her book, I KNOW this is something I can accomplish, as long as I believe in myself. She talks about the stigma behind an "old" athlete is not a limitation of your own body, but a fear or even ignorance in society telling one they are too old to do something. You do NOT have to have been a swimmer (or even an athlete) to relate and gain something from her story. She writes with emotion and honesty and I admire her immensely. Read this book and have a new perspective on things, especially on never letting go of a dream, it's never too late and you're never too old. DARA 2012!!!!!

"If you've ever thought your own story won't have a happy ending, you should read this book. Dara has a keen understanding of what it's like to hit mid-life with unfinished dreams. Through Dara's story you'll learn that the aging process isn't only about what we loose but also about personal growth and learning from people life puts in our path."