Review of Heart of A
Champion by Steve Riach
Heart of A Champion is
a collection of stories about athletes from various sports. Each one is a hero
in his or her sport. They are men and women who have achieved incredible success
at the highest levels of their professions. They are names you will recognize
even if you are not a sports junkie. You see them on your TV and their stats
are splashed all over the internet for those who are fantasy sports
participants.
The book would be worth reading if all it contained were
their professional stories. How they got to the professional leagues or
attained Olympic gold medals. It provides a glimpse into the back stories of
their lives. Where they came from, who were their influences growing up, and
how they got involved in the sport that has made them famous. Riach does a
great job of providing the details about why we should hold these people up as successes
in their sports through stats, histories, and quotes from teammates and
coaches.
But that is not where the stories end. These men and women
are not just champions on the fields, courts, and stadiums. There is something
deeper that drives them to be the type of athlete that uses their platform to
achieve a greater purpose. The author allows the reader to get to know the
other side of these famous stars. The side often unseen by the average fan.
Many of them are great givers to causes that have deep personal connections to
their past. My guess is that everyone who reads this book will find something
about someone in the book they didn’t know before they started reading. When
there are so many sordid stories about entitled athletes, this book is a fresh
breeze of hope for the redemption of professional sports.
In addition to supporting good causes, these athletes share
a common faith in Jesus Christ. Their faith stories are interwoven in a way
that makes the reader see them as real people with real faith and real struggles.
After you have read each short story, you feel like you have just sat down and
had coffee or tea with each athlete and they had a chance to tell you who they
really are off the field or court. It’s done in such a way that it isn’t pushy
or hokey. So this would be a great gift to give to any sports fan, regardless
of their religious beliefs.
If you are a sports fan, you’ll love reading this book. If
you are a pessimistic sports fan, you’ll be encouraged by reading this book. If
you are a Christian sports fan, you’ll find your faith strengthened by reading
this book. I really believe you will find value in the pages and the format
allows you to skip around and read at your own pace. I highly recommend this
book to everyone.
I was provided a free copy of this book by the publisher for
my honest review.
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