Pace, " Focused: Keeping Your Life on Track, One Choice at a Time" (reviewed by Kristie Wilkins)

Review
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Title: Focused: Keeping Your Life on Track, One Choice at a Time
Author: Noelle Pikus Pace
Publisher: Deseret Book Company
Genre: Inspirational Nonfiction
Year Published: 2014
Number of Pages: 137
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN10: n/a
ISBN13: 978-1-60907-946-8
Price: $18.99

Reviewed by Kristie Wilkins for the Association for Mormon Letters

From the moment this book arrived at my door a struggle of Olympic proportions ensued. Who would get to read "Focused" first? My biggest challenge in reviewing the book was keeping it in my possession long enough to finish reading it! I believe this is a powerful statement  about the impression Noelle Pikus Pace has left upon people of all ages the world over.

Throughout "Focused" Noelle's incredible spirit and determination leap from the page. It is very apparent to the reader that her extraordinary self control and ability to *focus* are the keys to her ability to attain her Olympic dreams.   However, at the same time, the author speaks to her readers as equals,  challenging us to see through her eyes and daring us to take key steps toward attaining greatness in our own lives.

In ten chapters, Noelle Pikus Pace shares the keys to the way she thinks and approaches her life. She illustrates these keys  by sharing examples of the triumphs, challenges and even tragedies she has experienced along the path to attaining her dreams.  As a society we view Olympic athletes as superhuman.  Their accomplishments are so extraordinary that these athletes often seem larger than life. A very human tendency is to think "I can't even begin to relate to her. She is amazing and I am ordinary.  I could never do what she does."  By allowing her readers to hear her thoughts during key moments in her life Noelle demonstrates in a powerful way just how human she is. Then as Noelle shares her hard won wisdom, readers are thrilled to find that the keys to her success are actually very familiar principles and truths that can be applied to their own lives.

Scriptures and religious leaders are quoted throughout the book; however, it is not a strictly religious or LDS text and will appeal to readers of varying faiths. This book is beautifully bound and illustrated with photography and artwork in a way that will appeal to readers of all ages as well.  Specific thoughts and quotes are highlighted, enabling readers to easily go back and reference key quotes and insights.

Here is a summary of each chapter:

Chapter 1:  You Always Have A Choice.
Noelle shares her devastating experience of being run over by a bobsled and seriously injured at the height of her career and the choices she made to overcome that great challenge.

Chapter 2:  Where You Look Is Where You Go.
The author takes an opportunity to explain the dynamics of the sport of skeleton and how the seemingly simple act of where she looks can affect her outcome both in the sport and in life.

Chapter 3: My Competition
Comparing herself to others in her sport Noelle finds only discouragement and frustration. She encourages her readers to "Be yourself and love yourself for who you are."

Chapter 4: Can I Sit Here?
In one of the most powerful chapters for teenage readers we find that even great athletes can feel left out and alone.   Noelle offers great wisdom on friendship.

Chapter 5: Dare to Stand Alone.
In a world where integrity is a rare commodity Noelle shows just how much of an influence a person of integrity can have on those around her.

Chapter 6: A Model of Perfection.
In dealing with the media frenzy surrounding the athletes in the lead up the Olympics, Noelle confronts a struggle common to most, if not all, women- body image and the world's idea of perfection.

Chapter 7: A Well-Balanced Life.
Noelle shares great insights from a time in her life where she and her husband were struggling to balance their lives and the effects that imbalance had on their family and her career.

Chapter 8: One Foot in Front of the Other.
Prior to a World Cup race Noelle is given powerful advice from a fellow Olympian and role model.

Chapter 9: Useless Runners.
How often do we disregard things or undervalue things or people in our lives? Noelle reminds us that "once we fill our minds with positive thoughts about ourselves we will be able to more clearly see the good in those around us."

Chapter 10: The World is Watching.
In her final chapter Noelle details her final race at the 2014 Winter Olympics and gives is a final push toward greatness with her closing statement, "It is our time to  be courageous. It's time to become our best selves and set an example for the world to follow so that when all is said and done we can exclaim together, "We did it!"

While I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Focused" I felt the book suffered for a lack of an introduction.  For a reader unfamiliar with Noelle Pikus Pace and her achievements it would be difficult to get the context of her opening chapter. Also, for someone who has not followed her career, the fact that the book is not written chronologically  would be confusing at times. This book was a great teaser for a biography I hope is the works for the future. I would love to hear more detailed versions of the stories shared in "Focused" and the story of her journey to the 2014 Olympics in a more chronological narrative.