Zondervan and Gazelle Sports Welcome Legendary Female Olympic Track Star to Grand Rapids
Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Publishers, and Gazelle Sports have partnered to host one of the fastest American women in history, Sanya Richards-Ross, on Friday, June 2, for a book signing at the Gazelle Sports store in Grand Rapids from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event precedes the release of the Olympic gold medalist's new book, Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile Has Taught Me About God and Life, and her children's book, Run with Me: The Story of a U.S. Olympic Champion, both available on June 6."As a dedicated runner myself, I'm thrilled to host Olympic track star Sanya Richards-Ross in West Michigan," said Tom Dean, VP of Marketing, Zondervan Trade Books. "Runners and non-runners alike can learn from Sanya's dedication and perseverance."
In Chasing Grace, Richards-Ross shares her inspiring journey from childhood to the gold medal podium, allowing fans a never-before-seen glimpse into the athlete's life. She discusses her challenges with body image, offers an inside look at her relationship with husband and two-time NFL Super Bowl champion Aaron Ross, and opens up for the first time on her painful struggles with her defeat at the Beijing Games. After a gold-winning performance at the 2012 London games, Richards-Ross was forced into an unexpected retirement following an injury while training for the 2016 Rio games. In her new book, the athlete shares her transition from superstar athlete to where she is today, living her life through God.
Run with Me is a different version of Sanya's story, chronicling her unique triumphs and trials with fame, family and faith, aimed at inspiring kids to pursue their dreams at full speed.
"Sanya is an inspiring role model, and we're grateful that she is willing to share her journey with her fans and the young athletes here in our community," said Chris Lampen-Crowell, co-founder of Gazelle Sports. "Sanya's determination, even during difficult times, is truly moving and I think her story will have a substantial impact on those who read it."
Following the book signing, Richards-Ross will appear at East Kentwood High School to encourage young athletes from across the state as they prepare to compete in the 2017 Michigan District State Track Meet.
For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1781874185475428/.
About HarperCollins
HarperCollins Publishers is the second largest consumer book publisher in the world, with operations in 18 countries. With two hundred years of history and more than 120 branded imprints around the world, HarperCollins publishes approximately 10,000 new books every year in 17 languages, and has a print and digital catalog of more than 200,000 titles. Writing across dozens of genres, HarperCollins authors include winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Newbery and Caldecott Medals, and the Man Booker Prize. HarperCollins, headquartered in New York, is a subsidiary of News Corp (NASDAQ: NWS, NWSA; ASX: NWS, NWSLV) and can be visited online at corporate.HC.com.
About Gazelle Sports
Gazelle Sports was founded in downtown Kalamazoo in 1985. Today, there are locations in Holland, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Northville and Birmingham where Gazelle Sports strives for retail excellence by providing the world's best customer care. Gazelle Sports offers footwear and apparel for active and casual use, provides free runs and walks, weekly clinics, training programs, and organizes and/or supports over 200 community events throughout the year.
About Sanya Richards-Ross
Sanya Richards-Ross is the fastest American woman in history in the 400-meter event. Surging past her competitors in the last 50 meters of the London 2012 race, Richards-Ross dramatically claimed her title as the world's best in the quarter mile. Off the track, Richards-Ross is an entrepreneur, TV personality, public speaker and humanitarian. She created her foundation, The Gold Standard, to raise awareness and provide financial relief for Olympic hopefuls whose Olympic dreams are limited by the cost of pursuing that goal. She is also the founder of the Sanya Richards-Ross Fast Track Program which has provided hundreds of children in Kingston, Jamaica with literacy training, physical education and healthy meals. She executes sports clinics across the United States to educate and empower youth with tools to excel both on and off the track, and recently launched an initiative in Central Texas to provide high school girls with leadership training. After the Girl Empowerment program, the high-achievers receive a full makeover to attend their high school proms in style and confidence. Visit: www.sanyarichardsross.com
