Brave Enough

"Jessie Diggins was an elite athlete long before she became an Olympic gold medalist. In Brave Enough, she shows world-class courage by sharing the truth about her eating disorder, her therapy, and the multitude of challenges, doubts, fears, and assorted bogeymen that are so often an untold part of the journey to greatness. She deserves another gold medal for her honesty and her inspiration."Wayne Coffey, New York Times best-selling author of The Boys of Winter* "Im honored to have played a role in inspiring Jessie on her journey to Olympic Gold. Brave Enough is a befitting title for this brutally honest and powerful story. As an athlete, Jessie was brave enough to win on the worlds biggest sporting stage. As a writer, she is brave enough to share a raw, heart-wrenching, nothing-held-back look at the struggles she went through to succeed. Its an inspiring story, worthy of gold."Jackie Joyner-Kersee "Already an inspiration to us all, Jessie once again shows her courage to leave it all on the track by sharing her deeply personal story. Readers will be encouraged by how one woman created a path forward for herselfand helped and uplifted so many in the process."Ann Bancroft "Brave Enough is a powerful story that shows that striving for excellence can be essential in sport, yet not even Olympic champions are immune from its unforeseen destructive consequences. With admirable vulnerability, Jessie demonstrates how to be a leader and best teammate while also being open to help and support from others. Her story motivates all of us, and she gives us hope and real tools to tackle our biggest challenges. I have never been more proud of my teammate and friend . . . not only has Jessie defeated foes on the race trails but she has courageously conquered the demons in her mind to become a true champion. She is an inspiration for everyone!"Kikkan Randall, Olympic Champion and World Champion "Jessie has one of the most infectiously positive and bubbly personalities of anyone I have ever met. That, combined with her fierce drive and unwavering grit, is what makes her an inspiration to so many people, including myself, but I never realized just how inspiring she truly is until I read this book. World, meet the force that is Jessie Diggins."Mikaela Shiffrin, Olympic Champion and World Champion

A two-time Olympian, Jessie Diggins is the most decorated U.S. cross-country athlete in World Championship history: she is the first American woman to win the World Cup Distance title and the World Cup Overall Champion title, and she has earned thirty-five medals in World Cup competitions. In 2021, she became the first American to win the prestigious Tour de Ski. Todd Smith is author of Hockey Strong. His sportswriting has contributed to Minnesota Hockey, USA Hockey, and the Minnesota Wild on the NHL Network. His work has been published in The Rake Magazine, Minnesota Monthly, and Twin Cities METRO Magazine, and he has been a commentator on Minnesota Public Radios 89.3 The Current and WCCO Radio.

Contents Prologue: I Can Do It Myself 1. Snow Baby 2. Wild Child 3. Super Speed 4. Thunder Bay 5. The Stillwater Way 6. Pain Cave 7. The Great Balancing Act 8. To Ski or Not to Ski 9. Slow Spiral 10. The Emily Program 11. Never Alone 12. Blood, Sweat, and Tears 13. The National Team 14. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles 15. Because 96 Isnt 100 16. From Sochi, with Love 17. Give It All You Got 18. Know When to Fold Em 19. PyeongChang 20. Brave Hearts 21. Lets Go Get It 22. One Team 23. Here Be Dragons 24. Coming Home; or, The Week I Masqueraded As a Rock Star Epilogue Acknowledgments