Maria Kaj: 13 books
The Ginger Phenom: Kyle Snyder's Olympic Wrestling Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #2
Language: English
Release Date: March 15, 2018
The youngest wrestler ever to win a gold medal, Kyle Snyder is not a household name, despite his performance in Rio. He should be. Snyder’s ability to thrash competitors nearly twice his age was a sight to behold. This account of his journey to the gold, told in the style of 16 Days of Glory, details...
The Race of Truth: Kristin Armstrong’s Olympic Cycling Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #4
Language: English
Release Date: March 15, 2018
At 43 years old, Kristin Armstrong might have had no business competing in a cycling time trial against the young international talent that surrounded her at the Rio Olympics. As she competed to become the oldest cyclist to win and to make it a record third gold medal, she faced many challenges: a...
by Maria Kaj
Language: English
Release Date: January 15, 2018
Language: English
Release Date: January 15, 2018
In the 2016 Olympic Games, a dozen athletes—record-breakers, notable pioneers, and all-around thrilling competitors—were overlooked in the prime-time TV coverage obsessed with sprinters, soccer legacies, and “angry faces.” Outside the Rio Spotlight tells tales of courage and American excellence...
Shot Diva Extraordinaire: Michelle Carter's Olympic Shot Put Triumph Outside of the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #3
Language: English
Release Date: March 15, 2018
Michelle Carter, the first American woman to win a gold medal in the shot put, may someday be known as much for her fashion style as for her track accomplishments. Her style was undeniable in throwing the shot farther than any American woman had ever done before. This account of her journey to the...
First Medalist on Five Continents: Kim Rhode’s Olympic Shooting Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #6
Language: English
Release Date: October 26, 2018
Kim Rhode, an expert target shooter, ranks among the handful of Greatest Olympians of All Time who have won medals across five straight Olympics. Going into the skeet shooting competition at Rio 2016, Rhode was attempting what had never been done: win six consective medals. Challenged by young crack...
Shadows of a Dynasty: Claressa Shields’ Olympic Boxing Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #7
Language: English
Release Date: November 4, 2018
Coming out of Flint, Michigan might mean bleak prospects for some, but boxer Claressa Shields planned to bring glory to her hometown from the time she was a little girl. After winning a gold medal at the London Olympics, she intended to win a second in Rio, even though no American boxer had ever done...
The First Gold in a Century: Matthew Centrowitz Jr.'s Olympic 1500 Meter Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #8
Language: English
Release Date: November 5, 2018
When Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile, the feat made world headlines. When Matthew Centrowitz Jr. became the first American to win a gold in the Olympic 1500 meters, the story was tucked on page seven behind the preseason football scores. Yet Centrowitz's feat, redemption for his fourth...
Rulon with Cornrows: Helen Maroulis’ Olympic Wrestling Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #9
Language: English
Release Date: November 7, 2018
To be a successful American woman wrestler, you have to beat all the boys in high school without embarrassing their parents, thrive in a decentralized system that scrapes by with no funding, compete against Japan which is the New England Patriots of women's wrestling, and also look good in an evening...
Eight Minutes, Four Seconds: Kayla Harrison’s Olympic Judo Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #1
Language: English
Release Date: March 15, 2018
This gripping narrative of America’s greatest Olympic judo medalist, Kayla Harrison, covers the stiff lineup of international superstars she faced in Rio 2016 on her way to becoming the only U.S. combatant ever to win two gold medals. In the style of 16 Days of Glory, this blow-by-blow account of...
The Most Dominant Team You’ve Never Heard Of: The U.S. Women’s Rowing Eight Olympic Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #12
Language: English
Release Date: November 10, 2018
Winning every race from one Olympics to the next is incredibly difficult. Spanning three Olympics is virtually impossible. Yet, the American women's rowing eight, after just being edged out in Athens in 2004, did the impossible. They went undefeated for eleven years, which means they came into the...
The Ferocious Girls: The U.S. Women’s Water Polo Olympic Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #11
Language: English
Release Date: November 9, 2018
After winning a gold medal in London and medaling in every Olympics since water polo for women had been established, you'd think the U.S. women's fight another gold would have garnered some notice. You'd think that a sport which combines soccer, swimming, and mixed martial arts—all popular American...
Generation BMX: Connor Fields’ Olympic BMX Triumph Outside the Rio Spotlight
Outside the Rio Spotlight, #10
Language: English
Release Date: November 8, 2018
The X Games are already 22 years old, so BMX—a contest where riders routinely crash into each other and still crawl past the finish line—already has a notable Olympic history. 23-year-old Connor Fields had even learned a painful lesson from London 2012, about winning the heats but losing the finals,...
by Maria Kaj
Language: English
Release Date: January 22, 2018
Language: English
Release Date: January 22, 2018
In the 2016 Olympic Games, a dozen athletes—record-breakers, notable pioneers, and all-around thrilling competitors—were overlooked in the prime-time TV coverage obsessed with sprinters, soccer legacies, and “angry faces.” Outside the Rio Spotlight tells tales of courage and American excellence...