Alexi Pappas is not only an Olympic runner, actress, filmmaker, she is a writer whose heartwarming and life-affirming memoir will inspire young readers, as she shares the touchstone moments in her life that helped her learn about confidence and self-reliance, compassion and forgiveness, and loss and hope, in this accessible and motivating memoir.

What is a bravey? For Alexi Pappas, it means to chase the goals that seem scary. She has not shied away from the challenge.

In this honest and hopeful memoir written especially for young readers, Alexi Pappas details key moments that had profound effects on her life, including the loss of her mother when she was just four years old, to her formative years at school where she felt different from her peers, and into her young adult life, including the incredible year she experienced in 2016 when she made her Olympic debut as a distance runner and wrote, directed, and starred in her first feature film. Through it all, Alexi worked hard—physically, mentally, and emotionally, but not without setbacks and hardships along the way.

Young readers will be inspired by this plucky young girl who refused to pick one lane and was compelled to explore various pursuits in athletics as well as the creative arts, crafting an abundant life filled with loving friends and family, and strong female role models and mentors she sought out—all who helped shape the bravey she is today.