Rating: Excellent
Beneath the Surface blurb excerpt: The brave and inspiring memoir of one of Australian Swimming's Golden Girls, whose extraordinary achievements masked her private battles with anxiety and depression.
Australians know Libby Trickett as one of our golden girls of swimming. Winner of multiple Olympic gold medals and setter of world records, Libby wasn't just a champion, she was Australia's girl next door, the humble superstar from suburban Brisbane with an infectious grin and sunny nature.
Yet what we saw on the surface - the confidence, competitiveness, and warmth that were her hallmarks - belied the very private battles she fought in her own head. Beneath the incredible achievements and that trademark smile, Libby suffered from crippling depression.
Libby's memoir is an extraordinarily candid, revealing, and inspiring account of both her public and private lives.
My opinion: Although I didn't love how she jumped forwards and backward in time in each chapter I understand why she did it.
That aside, this is a brilliant book. Incredibly well-written, brutally honest, and eye-opening. I expected a summary of her swimming career and got a deep insight into life in and out of the water. To use a very bad pun, she has far more depth than any swimming pool. Hands down one of the best sporting biographies I have ever read. I rate it alongside open by Andre Agassi.
Warning: Some pretty graphic chapters on postnatal depression.
Lessons from Libby Trickett Beneath the Surface:
The transition from professional athlete to "the next thing" is incredibly difficult and the path is often paved with self-doubt.
A beautiful smile can hide an enormous amount of pain.
No one is ever really all they seem on the surface.
It's okay not to be okay and real strength comes from reaching out and asking for help when you're down.
It's alright to be lost sometimes on the path to finding yourself.
Even the best relationships require work, effort, and sacrifice at times, but above all see they require good communication.
It's funny how in the legal system people are innocent until proven guilty, but in sport, athletes are guilty until proven innocent.
Focus, goals, and hard work are important but when success comes it's important to be in the moment and appreciate it.
Parenting is hard, especially for mothers. When a new child is born everyone fusses over the child and checks in on how they are going. As a society, we also need to check in on the mothers.
The value of a great coach, mentor, or team cannot be overstated.
Libby Trickett Beneath the Surface Quotes:
“After the pain came the payoff"
"Every new conversation I have with someone about my feelings makes them a little easier to bear. The shame lessens a little and my resolve strengthens a fraction."
"Labels can actually make things easier to talk about. Instead of feeling ashamed about having a mental illness, I want to feel more comfortable naming it and talking about it."
"Things don't always feel as great as they look, and sometimes they don't look as great as they feel, and it's hard to know the difference."
"It's alright to be lost sometimes on the path to finding yourself"
"If we can all get better at talking about mental health, I think more people will ask for the help they need."
"To those who have known darkness. You are not alone, there will be light again."
"If it's not a problem for you, it's not a problem"
"My deterioration into mental illness was slow and subtle, and my recovery is slow and subtle too. There is no magic bullet. There is no day when I wake up and think, Fantastic I'm cured! I still feel a lingering sense of failure, a lingering sense of unworthiness, a lingering sense of frustration that I can't control every outcome, but they become softer and more manageable with every day that passes. The dark thoughts start to ebb away until I realise one day that I haven't had one for a very long time."
What next:
My personal recommendation for those who loved this book - Open: Andre Agassi
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