Paralympian McKenzie Coan releases memoir, “Breaking Free”
(July 16, 2021) Breaking Free – Shattering Expectations and Thriving with Ambition in Pursuit of Gold, a memoir by three-time Paralympic swimming gold medalist and world record holder McKenzie Coan, will be published by CG Sports Publishing on Aug. 11. The book tells of Coan’s life with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, as she navigates the world of competitive swimming.
Never expected to sit, stand, walk, or even possibly live, Coan has spent her life defying the odds. Between extended hospital stays and sometimes months in a body cast, Coan carved out a successful swimming career, starting in para swim meets at the age of 8.
As she describes in the book, she has lived a “lifetime of unlikeliness.”
Coan attended her first Paralympic Games at the age of 12 in London in 2012, and she stood atop the Paralympic podium three times in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. She looks to defend her titles in Tokyo this summer, as the world’s top-ranked freestyler in her classification and events.
Breaking Free tackles many of today’s hot topics in sport and in life, including discrimination, goal setting, mental health, self-care, and body image, while following Coan from infancy in rural Georgia to the international stage as a professional athlete. It is a story of grit, determination, disability, athleticism, family, humor, and hope.
“I hope through my story, I can inspire others to look past the obstacles they may face and chase their dreams," Coan said.
Breaking Free was co-written with Holly Neumann of Sarasota, Florida, and contains a foreword written by Brian Loeffler, head coach of Loyola University in Maryland and 2014 Paralympic Coach of the Year. The afterword was written by 2004 Paralympian Dr. Kara Ayers, who also has OI.
Breaking Free is available through Ingram and will be sold by Amazon and other major retailers. Preorder sales of Breaking Free will run from Aug. 2-10. Coan will donate a portion of preorder proceeds to the OI Foundation, an organization that works to better the lives of people living with osteogenesis imperfecta.
###
Meet McKenzie Coan McKenzie Coan is represented by the CG Sports Company. For press inquiries, please contact Cejih Yung at cejih@cgsportsmanagement.com. Follow Coan on social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. Learn more at https://www.mckenziecoan.com/.
About CG Sports Publishing CG Sports Publishing is in the storytelling business. Founded as part of the CG Sports Company in 2019, CG Sports Publishing brings athlete-focused titles to the marketplace. Follow on social media: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn.
