{"product_id":"chasing-water-elegy-of-an-olympian-9781617754449","title":"Chasing Water: Elegy of an Olympian","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"For Anthony Ervin, the stretch between his two greatest athletic achievements--two Olympic gold medals--included a suicide attempt, a period of homelessness and a stint in a rock band. Jobs found, then lost. Too much drinking, too many drugs. Depression. Confusion. And then, a kind of rebirth.\" --\u003cem\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\"An inspiring, humorous and often profound biography.\" --\u003cem\u003ePeople Magazine\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEvery four years in the Olympic cycle the surge of national interest in swimming grows, and with it a desire to be captivated by its stars. This book tells the dramatic, surprising, and sometimes provocative path that Anthony Ervin has taken to become one of those captivating Olympic heroes. Not your typical sports memoir, \u003cem\u003eChasing Water\u003c\/em\u003e also contains arresting black-and-white drawings and a graphic story extra, as well as an inventive and mercurial narrative style that morphs chapter by chapter to reflect Ervin's restless, multifaceted life.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eErvin won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games at the age of nineteen. He is an athlete branded with a slew of titles including being the first US Olympic swimmer of African American descent, along with Jewish heritage, who also grew up with Tourette's syndrome. He shocked the sporting world by retiring soon after claiming two world titles following the 2000 Olympics. Auctioning off his gold medal for charity, he set off on a part spiritual quest, part self-destructive bender that involved Zen temples, fast motorcycles, tattoo parlors, and rock 'n' roll bands. Then Ervin resurfaced in 2012 to not only make the US Olympic team twelve years after his first appearance, but to continue his career by swimming faster than ever before.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAt the Rio Olympics in August 2016, Ervin \"wrote\" the most fitting afterword to his astonishing story, winning two gold medals, becoming the oldest swimmer (from any nation) to win a gold medal in an individual race, and--in finishing first in the 50-meter freestyle--once again earning the title of fastest human in water.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Edge of Sports\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/05\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781617754449\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 300\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.40h x 5.40w x 0.90d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/15\/2016 pg. 20\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/15\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 03\/01\/2016 pg. 105\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Anthony Ervin,Constantine Markides","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52732287910069,"sku":"9781617754449","price":16.11,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/chasing-water-elegy-of-an-olympian-9781617754449","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}