
Rising Above
How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in Their Youth to Become Stars
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $20.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
JD Jackson
About this listen
Team USA goalkeeper Tim Howard was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome in sixth grade. He went on to become a national treasure after single-handedly keeping America competitive in the 2014 World Cup. Stephen Curry was told he was too small, too weak, and too slow to even receive a scholarship to play college basketball. He outworked everyone and went on to become MVP of the National Basketball Association. Jim Abbott was born without his right hand, yet he refused to be defined by what he lacked. He went on to pitch a no-hitter in the Major Leagues.
Athlete after athlete in this book found discipline, hope, and inspiration on the playing field, rising above their circumstances. Filled with first-hand accounts from stars who exemplify the idea of enduring at all costs, this collection of sports biographies will serve as a must-listen source of inspiration for kids and sports fans of all ages.
©2016 Gregory Zuckerman, Elijah Zuckerman, and Gabriel Zuckerman (P)2017 TantorListeners also enjoyed...
-
Rising Above
- Inspiring Women in Sports
- By: Gregory Zuckerman, Elijah Zuckerman, Gabriel Zuckerman
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Simone Biles was raised by a single mother with addiction issues, forcing her grandparents to intervene. But Simone soon discovered balance beams and gymnastics mats, setting her on a path toward Olympic greatness. Carli Lloyd, meanwhile, believed her youth soccer career was really starting to take off, only to be cut from her team. Instead of quitting the sport she loved, Carli rebuilt her confidence, ultimately becoming one of the leaders on the World Cup Champion US Women's Soccer team. The athletes featured in this book met earth-shaking challenges head on, and went on to conquer the sports world.
By: Gregory Zuckerman, and others
-
Restart
- By: Gordon Korman
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross, Laura Knight Keating, Ramon de Ocampo, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author Gordon Korman harkens back to his No More Dead Dogs days in this stand-alone that takes a tone more serious than you've ever heard from him before. A boy who's been a bully and hanging out with the wrong friends gets a new start after a memory-loss-inducing accident. But can someone really change who he is, or will the old him merely come back over time?
-
-
Ehhhh
- By James ODonnell on 07-03-18
By: Gordon Korman
-
The Beverly Cleary Audio Collection
- By: Beverly Cleary, Tracy Dockray
- Narrated by: Andrea Martin, Johnny Heller, Christina Moore
- Length: 16 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beverly Cleary has been a part of America’s childhood for over 50 years. Now enjoy this rare collection of some of your favorite characters and their funny, heart-warming stories. Includes: Ellen Tebbits, Otis Spofford, Emily's Runaway Imagination, Mitch and Amy, Socks, and Muggie Maggie.
-
-
Stories are great, Usage is a bit difficult.
- By Lea B. on 07-31-18
By: Beverly Cleary, and others
-
Mental Toughness for Young Athletes
- Eight Proven 5-Minute Mindset Exercises for Kids and Teens Who Play Competitive Sports
- By: Troy Horne, Moses Horne
- Narrated by: Moses Horne
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Moses and Troy Horne here. Your mental-toughness guides! We know exactly how you feel. If you are reading this, you probably have a young athlete who struggles with in-game stress and maybe even sports performance anxiety. That is why this version was mostly written by Moses. As of the time of the writing of this book, Moses Horne is a 15-year-old elite athlete who can talk directly about the triumphs and struggles of working toward being mentally tough. This is the only book that I know of with input from an actual young athlete.
-
-
Great for the young elite athlete
- By Rhonda Connally on 04-22-21
By: Troy Horne, and others
-
The Champion's Mind
- How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive
- By: Jim Afremow
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Champion's Mind, sports psychologist Jim Afremow, PhD, LPC, now offers the same advice he uses with Olympians, Heisman Trophy winners, and professional athletes, including tips and techniques based on high-performance psychology research, such as how to get in a "zone," thrive on a team, and stay humble; how to progress within a sport and sustain excellence long-term, and customizable pre-performance routines to hit full power when the gun goes off or the puck is dropped.
-
-
Excellent content, mediocre narrator
- By Chris on 10-08-14
By: Jim Afremow
-
Hatchet
- By: Gary Paulsen
- Narrated by: Peter Coyote
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Newbery Award-winner Gary Paulsen's best-known book comes to audio in this breathless, heart-gripping drama about a boy pitted against the wilderness with only a hatchet and a will to live. On his way to visit his recently divorced father in the Canadian mountains, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is the only survivor when the single-engine plane crashes. His body battered, his clothes in shreds, Brian must now stay alive in the boundless Canadian wilderness.
-
-
Outstanding!
- By Raquel Aceves-Mittman on 02-14-12
By: Gary Paulsen
-
Rising Above
- Inspiring Women in Sports
- By: Gregory Zuckerman, Elijah Zuckerman, Gabriel Zuckerman
- Narrated by: Gabra Zackman
- Length: 3 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Simone Biles was raised by a single mother with addiction issues, forcing her grandparents to intervene. But Simone soon discovered balance beams and gymnastics mats, setting her on a path toward Olympic greatness. Carli Lloyd, meanwhile, believed her youth soccer career was really starting to take off, only to be cut from her team. Instead of quitting the sport she loved, Carli rebuilt her confidence, ultimately becoming one of the leaders on the World Cup Champion US Women's Soccer team. The athletes featured in this book met earth-shaking challenges head on, and went on to conquer the sports world.
By: Gregory Zuckerman, and others
-
Restart
- By: Gordon Korman
- Narrated by: Jonathan Todd Ross, Laura Knight Keating, Ramon de Ocampo, and others
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York Times best-selling author Gordon Korman harkens back to his No More Dead Dogs days in this stand-alone that takes a tone more serious than you've ever heard from him before. A boy who's been a bully and hanging out with the wrong friends gets a new start after a memory-loss-inducing accident. But can someone really change who he is, or will the old him merely come back over time?
-
-
Ehhhh
- By James ODonnell on 07-03-18
By: Gordon Korman
-
The Beverly Cleary Audio Collection
- By: Beverly Cleary, Tracy Dockray
- Narrated by: Andrea Martin, Johnny Heller, Christina Moore
- Length: 16 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Beverly Cleary has been a part of America’s childhood for over 50 years. Now enjoy this rare collection of some of your favorite characters and their funny, heart-warming stories. Includes: Ellen Tebbits, Otis Spofford, Emily's Runaway Imagination, Mitch and Amy, Socks, and Muggie Maggie.
-
-
Stories are great, Usage is a bit difficult.
- By Lea B. on 07-31-18
By: Beverly Cleary, and others
-
Mental Toughness for Young Athletes
- Eight Proven 5-Minute Mindset Exercises for Kids and Teens Who Play Competitive Sports
- By: Troy Horne, Moses Horne
- Narrated by: Moses Horne
- Length: 3 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Moses and Troy Horne here. Your mental-toughness guides! We know exactly how you feel. If you are reading this, you probably have a young athlete who struggles with in-game stress and maybe even sports performance anxiety. That is why this version was mostly written by Moses. As of the time of the writing of this book, Moses Horne is a 15-year-old elite athlete who can talk directly about the triumphs and struggles of working toward being mentally tough. This is the only book that I know of with input from an actual young athlete.
-
-
Great for the young elite athlete
- By Rhonda Connally on 04-22-21
By: Troy Horne, and others
-
The Champion's Mind
- How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive
- By: Jim Afremow
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Champion's Mind, sports psychologist Jim Afremow, PhD, LPC, now offers the same advice he uses with Olympians, Heisman Trophy winners, and professional athletes, including tips and techniques based on high-performance psychology research, such as how to get in a "zone," thrive on a team, and stay humble; how to progress within a sport and sustain excellence long-term, and customizable pre-performance routines to hit full power when the gun goes off or the puck is dropped.
-
-
Excellent content, mediocre narrator
- By Chris on 10-08-14
By: Jim Afremow
-
Hatchet
- By: Gary Paulsen
- Narrated by: Peter Coyote
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Newbery Award-winner Gary Paulsen's best-known book comes to audio in this breathless, heart-gripping drama about a boy pitted against the wilderness with only a hatchet and a will to live. On his way to visit his recently divorced father in the Canadian mountains, thirteen-year-old Brian Robeson is the only survivor when the single-engine plane crashes. His body battered, his clothes in shreds, Brian must now stay alive in the boundless Canadian wilderness.
-
-
Outstanding!
- By Raquel Aceves-Mittman on 02-14-12
By: Gary Paulsen
-
The Outsiders
- By: S. E. Hinton
- Narrated by: Jim Fyfe
- Length: 5 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ponyboy can count on his brothers. And on his friends. But not on much else besides trouble with the Socs, a vicious gang of rich kids whose idea of a good time is beating up "greasers" like Ponyboy. At least he knows what to expect, until the night someone takes things too far.
-
-
The Outsiders
- By Carol on 01-25-06
By: S. E. Hinton
-
A Separate Peace
- By: John Knowles
- Narrated by: Scott Snively
- Length: 6 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Now a modern classic, this story of two boys' friendship at an exclusive New Hampshire prep school as it parallels the inescapable and escalating atmosphere of World War II, is intense and engaging to the last word.
-
-
How can one fault a Classic like this?
- By Theodore on 06-02-13
By: John Knowles
-
Tangerine
- By: Edward Bloor
- Narrated by: Trevor Goble
- Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Paul Fisher sees the world from behind glasses so thick he looks like a bug-eyed alien. But he’s not so blind that he can’t see there are some very unusual things about his family’s new home in Tangerine County, Florida. Where else does a sinkhole swallow the local school, fire burn underground for years, and lightning strike at the same time every day? The chaos is compounded by constant harassment from his football-star brother, and adjusting to life in Tangerine isn’t easy for Paul - until he joins the soccer team at his middle school.
-
-
Good book, narration was irritating at times.
- By Crystal H on 11-04-21
By: Edward Bloor
-
A Long Walk to Water
- By: Linda Sue Park
- Narrated by: David Baker, Cynthia Bishop
- Length: 2 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1985 southern Sudan is ravaged by war. Rebels and government forces battle for control, with ordinary people…people like the boy, Salva Dut…caught in the middle. When Salva's village is attacked, he must embark on a harrowing journey that will propel him through horror and heartbreak, across a harsh desert, and into a strange new life. Years later, in contemporary South Sudan, a girl named Nya must walk eight hours a day to fetch water. The walk is grueling, but there is unexpected hope.
-
-
Clean Water Please
- By Sher from Provo on 06-02-16
By: Linda Sue Park
-
From the Outside
- My Journey Through Life and the Game I Love
- By: Ray Allen, Michael Arkush
- Narrated by: J.D. Jackson
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The record-holding two-time National Basketball Association champion reflects on his work ethic, his on-the-court friendships and rivalries, the great teams he's played for, and what it takes to have a long and successful career in this thoughtful, in-depth memoir. Playing in the NBA for 18 years, Ray Allen won championships with the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat and entered the record books as the original king of the three-point shot. Known as one of the hardest-working and highest-achieving players in NBA history, he was legendary for his sharp shooting.
-
-
It wasn't bad, but I thought it would be better
- By Amazon Customer on 07-30-18
By: Ray Allen, and others
-
Michael Jordan
- The Life
- By: Roland Lazenby
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 21 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The definitive biography of a legendary athlete. The Shrug. The Shot. The Flu Game. When most people think of him, they think of his beautiful shots with the game on the line, his body totally in sync with the ball - hitting nothing but net. But for all his greatness, this scion of a complex family from North Carolina's Coastal Plain has a darker side: He's a ruthless competitor and a lover of high stakes. There's never been a biography that encompassed the dual nature of his character and looked so deeply at Jordan on and off the court - until now.
-
-
horrible naration
- By Hiro on 03-27-18
By: Roland Lazenby
-
Becoming Kareem
- Growing Up on and off the Court
- By: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Raymond Obstfeld
- Narrated by: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Length: 5 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At one time Lew Alcindor was just another kid from New York City with all the usual problems: He struggled with fitting in, with pleasing a strict father, and with overcoming shyness that made him feel socially awkward. But with a talent for basketball and an unmatched team of supporters, Lew Alcindor was able to transform and to become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
-
-
Concise and great
- By Clint Zenk on 06-23-20
By: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and others
-
Shadow Jumper
- A Mystery Adventure Book for Children and Teens Aged 10-14
- By: J M Forster
- Narrated by: Gary Murrell
- Length: 4 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jack Phillips's allergy to sunshine confines him to the shadows, leaving him lonely, and at risk of life-threatening burns every time he steps into the light. Shadow jumping on the rooftops at dusk, makes him feel alive. And free. But Jack's condition is suddenly worse than ever, and only his missing scientist dad can save him. As Jack and his new friend, Beth, begin their frantic search and delve into his dad's past for clues, they have no idea what they are about to uncover.
-
-
A Well Written Children's Book!
- By Emmy on 10-04-17
By: J M Forster
-
Refugee
- By: Alan Gratz
- Narrated by: Michael Goldstrom, Kyla Garcia, Assaf Cohen
- Length: 7 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This timely and powerful novel tells the story of three different children seeking refuge. Josef is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world. Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America. Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe.
-
-
Intended for 5-8th graders, but it is good for adults too
- By LJK on 12-21-17
By: Alan Gratz
-
Junior Seau
- The Life and Death of a Football Icon
- By: Jim Trotter
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau is widely considered one of the best linebackers ever to play the game. A 10-time All-Pro and 12-time Pro Bowl selection, Seau was picked for the NFL's All-Decade Team in the 1990s. His incredible career spanned two decades, during which time he played for the Chargers, Dolphins, and Patriots. In 2012, at the age of 43, Seau committed suicide with a gunshot wound to the chest. News of his death sent shockwaves through the NFL.
-
-
Outstanding Book!!!
- By Sherry Jones on 01-08-16
By: Jim Trotter
-
Travel Team
- By: Mike Lupica
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twelve-year-old Danny Walker may be the smallest kid on the basketball court, but don't tell him that. Because no one plays with more heart or court sense. But none of that matters when he is cut from his local travel team, the very same team his father led to national prominence as a boy. Danny's father knows Danny isn't the only kid who was cut for the wrong reason, and together, this washed-up former player and a bunch of never-say-die kids prove that the heart simply cannot be measured.
-
-
This book rocks!
- By Braxton on 02-09-06
By: Mike Lupica
-
Mind Gym
- An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence
- By: Gary Mack, David Casstevens
- Narrated by: Kevin Young
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Noted sports psychology consultant Gary Mack explains how your mind influences your performance on the field or on the court as much as your physical skill does, if not more so. Through 40 accessible lessons and inspirational anecdotes from prominent athletes—many of whom he has worked with—you will learn the same techniques and exercises Mack uses to help elite athletes build mental "muscle". Mind Gym will give you the "head edge" over the competition.
-
-
A Stream of Trite Cliches
- By Blake on 05-12-23
By: Gary Mack, and others