A Life Without Limits: Chrissie Wellington, The Autobiography [Kindle Edition]

Chrissie Wellington (Author)

Book Description

Chrissie Wellington is the world's No 1 female Ironman triathlete, the current quadruple World Champion and World Record holder. In 2009 she was voted 'Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year' and in 2010 was awarded the MBE. She is the undefeated champion of Triathlon, having won nine Ironman titles from nine races.

Her World Record setting race time of 8:19:13 at Quelle Roth Germany in 2010 slashed over 14 minutes from the previous record and where she was only beaten by six men. Chrissie has displayed unprecedented levels of stamina, strength and competitiveness in becoming Ironman World Champion in only her second event at Ironman level. Her victory in Kona, Hawaii in 2007 finishing in 9:08:45 - five minutes ahead of her nearest rival - was described as the 'biggest upset in Ironman history' and 'a remarkable feat, deemed to be near impossible task for any athlete racing as a rookie at their first Ironman World Championships'. She defended her World title in Hawaii in 2008 and again in 2009 and won back her title in 2011 after having to withdraw from the 2010 race due to illness.

This is the remarkable story of how a Norfolk girl - a 'sporty kid, swimming, playing hockey, running, but never excelling and always more interested in the social side of the sports scene' - became a world champion.

Editorial Reviews

Review

What amazes me about Chrissie Wellington is not that she wins, but by how much [...] Like Usain Bolt, Wellington has burst on to the scene and destroyed the opposition. Those within athletics said that Bolt was coming but Wellington came from nowhere and wins by a relatively greater margin. -- James Cracknell What emerges from this book is the portrait of a thoroughly nice woman. Her exceptional qualities have led her to achievements that her readers can scarcely imagine. But she still remains touchingly connected to that 'ordinary girl from Norfolk'. It's a winning combination. -- Jane Shilling Daily Mail ...full of revelations, pages upon pages of inspiration and plenty of laughs. Wellington's frankness about her life and indelicacy about every aspect of the sport creates a compelling tome that no Chrissie fan or aspiring triathlete should be without. Triathlon Plus

About the Author

Chrissie Wellington is the world-record holder for ironman-distance triathlon. She is a four-time Ironman Triathlon World Champion, having won the World Championship consecutively in 2007, 2008 and 2009 and regaining it in 2011. She remains undefeated over the Ironman distance. See more on her website: www.chrissiewellington.org

Product Details

• File Size: 1390 KB
• Print Length: 289 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1849017131
• Publisher: Constable; Open market ed. edition (February 23, 2012)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B005EM8NQ2
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,905 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Individual Sports > Triathlon
  • #14 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Individual Sports > Triathlon
  • #61 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Nonfiction > Sports > Biographies

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 42 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars IF this was fiction you would not believe it May 6, 2012

By Lost In 80's

Format:Hardcover

This is a great book, well written and fast paced - I finished it quickly and wished it had been longer. I'd recommend it to anyone, particularly those who participate in or follow triathlon, or its constituent sports.

What Chrissie Wellington achieved in her 5 short professional years in what many consider to be the toughest of endurance sports, Ironman, is nothing short of astonishing. If this were a work of fiction, if someone was to create a character that won every Ironman race they entered, you'd say interesting story, but that just doesn't happen. But Chrissie's story is fact and likely her record will never be bettered; no-one she's competed against in all those races will achieve what she has, because they lost to her, at least once, someone new will have to come along. Look at other sports and it's hard to find anyone with a comparable record, or to find someone who has won by the margins she has.

How Chrissie ended up dominating Ironman makes for compelling reading. Her early years hint at nothing significant to follow; nothing outstanding sporting wise, and often illness caused by her obsessions seemingly would have blighted her achievements. Her journey in life does expose her to environments and experiences considered to be beneficial to the sport; high altitudes and the opportunity to fuel her voracious appetite for very long bike rides. However what comes through again and again in this book is her immense driving force. It's her monumental mind over matter approach and dedication to do what is needed that is the difference and there's much here to learn and apply to all aspects of life, not just endurance sports.

I couldn't get enough of this book, it went by too fast. I felt like I gained a friend so open and frank was the narrative and then it ended all too quickly. This is what the best books do; they grab you, hold your attention, and for the time you invest they give you so much more back.

If you want to get a sense of Chrissie before reading the book take a look at her finish at Kona in 2007 on Youtube.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Truth is better than fiction May 26, 2012

By Necmiye Eren

Format:Hardcover

The extraordinary first-hand account of Chrissie Wellington's rise to triathlon greatness after the age of 25 when she discovered her latent talent for endurance sport. A very refreshing account that differs greatly from Paula Radcliffe's "My Life so Far" or Meb K's "Run to Overcome". No tales of early greatness in Chrissie's book, no relatives who were Olympians, no highschool world records. Just a girl who had a passion for international development and helping others who was also passionate about exploring and pushing herself who rather randomly happened onto running, cycling and triathlon and became the best in the world at it, and quickly! What I enjoyed most about this book was Chrissie's description of her relationship with her coach, Brett Sutton, and the psychological fortitude necessary to engage in "warfare" against yourself and your competitors.

Chrissie is an engaging, likeable author--it feels as if she is talking to a friend about her story. Overall, an enjoyable and informative read.

The book has lag points where I felt like she went too much into extraneous detail about random friends' weddings and characters who bore little importance to the plot. There was also redundancy in her descriptions (for example she races Kona 4x and each time we have to read the same description of the sunrise).

These minor criticisms aside, I was very happy to have a book by one of the most astounding women in sports history told with energy and enthusiasm.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars not only a great athlete but a great writer as well March 31, 2012

By jopey

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've read many books by runners, triathletes and other sports people, and often think that perhaps they would have been better to get someone else to write their stories, but this is very different. It is so well written. Chrissie shares some of her early life stories and is very honest about some of the body issues she faced and she also shows us how much training she has had to do to get to the top and it's all done in a really easy to read manner. I couldn't put the book down. Great read.

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