Customer Reviews

The Wonder Years: Portraits of Athletes Who Never Slow Down

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Length:: 6:20 Mins

I loved, loved, LOVED this book - and I hope you do too!

I decided to share a few stories and pictures in this review, and I uploaded some customer images.

Enjoy!

The images in this book capture the potential of what life can be at any age. These people just kept on going, no matter what cards life dealt them, they are a true inspirations. Thank you Rick for sharing your vision of what the wonder years have in store for us. I need to start training now, if I am going to catch up to these amazing individuals.

I picked up this book mostly for the photographic value and I was not disappointed. The images by Rick Rickman and truly amazing and really show the grit and tenacity of many of these senior age athletes. To my surprise after I spent some time in the book I was inspired by the stories of these athletes. If you are approaching your wonder years or wonder if you are as committed as others have been before you, I recommend picking up this book for comparative views. Right now I'm thinking of hitting the gym just a bit more regularly! :-)

THE WONDER YEARS: PORTRAITS OF ATHLETES WHO NEVER SLOW DOWN provides a fine photo essay from a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer who capture images of senior athletes who are continuing to win past the usual age ranges. From a 57-year-old waitress who wins a gold medal in the 100-meter dash to a 75-year-old who performs 200 push-ups, their stories celebrate the mature athlete's achievements in a picture story any library will find inspirational.

This is a beautifully illustrated book with inspiring stories of senior athletes that continue to strive for excellence well into their "golden years". A very nice coffee table book. Guaranteed to inspire!!

Length:: 1:23 Mins

THE WONDER YEARS: PORTRAITS OF ATHLETES WHO NEVER SLOW DOWN is really an amazing photographic essay of athletes over the age of 50. It demonstrates exactly what its title promises to demonstrate: that no matter your age you can keep living, can be athletic, and stay in shape. As I progress into my mid-30s I have been inclined to believe what some have said to me, that I am now middle aged and I need to accept that I will put on weight and will no longer be in good physical condition. It's all down hill from here some say. THE WONDER YEARS is very inspiring for me because it depicts people who are more than twice my age and are in better physical condition than me. It makes me think that there's a chance that the best years of my life are in fact ahead of me. I highly recommend this book!

One of the most inspiring things to see are people who continue to be athletes and enter competitions without having a care for their age. No one is going to stop them. If they want to part of a race, to surf the waves, to cycle, it doesn't matter, they continue. They are driven and what better to capture that drive and be inspired by the photography of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Rick Rickman, together with writer Donna Wares plus a foreword by athlete Peggy Fleming.

"The Wonder Years: Portraits of Athletes Who Never Slow Down" is an inspiring book that features the story of several older athletes such as Janet Freeman, a track competitor; Eve Fletcher who started in surfing in 1957 continues to do so today; Granville Coggs who competes at the 1500-meter run at the Senior Games; Sister Madonna Buder at 78 continues to swim and cycle; couple Bill Cunningham and Jane Hesselgesser who both are body builders; an aquatic dancing team known as the Aquadettes who range from ages 54 through 93 and many, many more athletes who have never slowed down.

Also, included is photography from the National Senior Games featuring a few of the thousand of athletes all over the United States who take part in the largest sporting event for people over 50 and also photography of people over 50 who take part in various sports such as swimming, ice hockey, track and field, basketball, softball and many other competitive sports.

"The Wonder Years: Portraits of Athletes Who Never Slow Down" captures the passion for the sport and the competitiveness with the athletes. Donna Wares does a very good job in capturing the drive of each athlete featured and of course, Rick Rickman's photography is just beautiful, inspiring and wonderful.

For those who have been inspired by these athletes or one that wants that additional inspiration to get out there and take part in a sport, this book shows that even after the age of 50, there are many out there who are driven and passionate about pushing themselves to a higher level and enjoying themselves. Definitely a book worth recommending!

Do you think that after five or six decades on this planet that you're destined to sit back in a rocking chair with the remote control or bake cookies and knit all day? Well, you might need a little attitude adjustment, and The Wonder Years is just the place to start. This is a beautifully illustrated book of photographs and inspirational stories of men and women, most of them in their 60's, 70's and 80's, doing triathlons, body building competitions, running, weight lifting, disc and javelin throwing, swimming, biking, ice hockey, you name it, they're out there doing rather than observing.

For example, the Aquadettes are a group of women ranging in age from 54 to 93, some of them with hip replacements, bad knees, back troubles and one with multiple sclerosis, doing water ballet before sell-out crowds in Southern California at their senior community. Or Sister Madonna, a 78 year old nun who has tackled the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon more than 20 times. And what about Dr. Granville Coggs who's a radiologist and in his 80's but still runs every day and participates in the National Senior games every two years?

There are a wide variety of sports represented in this book, everything from archery to cattle driving to surfing. Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, Rick Rickman really captures the spirit of these people with beautiful full color photos. It's quickly become my No. 1 coffee table book and a book which I'll be ordering as a gift for friends, especially those hitting one of the 'big ones' in birthdays. I look at this book and I'm ready to move! if they can do this, so can I!

This book is a true inspiration to those of us baby boomers who need to reinvent ourselves, to look to new role models who are out there challenging themselves every day, and keeping their heath and stamina and feeling good about themselves, rather than hunkering down in an easy chair and growing old. Just because we accumulate a few years under our belts doesn't mean we have to look or act that way and the people in this book prove it. It's time to get up off the couch and kick some butt! And this book is a good place to start.

Rick's pictures capture a unique element of the moment of human triumph and intense focus. This is the finest photo journals, which provides fresh, simply stated and inspiring content. A must read.

I purchased as a gift for my parents (mid- 80's) and myself to remind me of what is possible in our human journey.

This book is for the young at heart, no matter what the age. It is all about staying active and keeping in shape over 50. The photos were great and inspiring. If they can do it...so can you!