Running Sideways

A raw, uplifting story from one of the most important hidden figures in track and field history. When Pauline Davis first began to run, it wasnt with any thought of future Olympic glory. A product of the poor neighborhood of Bain Town in The Bahamas, she carried the familys buckets every day to fetch fresh waterand ran sideways, sprinting barefoot from bullies, to get the buckets of water home without spilling. But when a seasoned track coach saw Pauline sprinting, he saw the heart of a champion. In Running Sideways, Pauline Davis shares her inspiring story. Born and raised in the ghetto, Pauline fought through poverty, inequality, racism, and political machinations from her own country to beat the odds and become a two-time Olympic gold medalist, the first individual gold medalist in sprinting from the Caribbean, the first woman of color on the World Athletics council, and a central figure in the Russian anti-doping campaign. A casualty herself of the doping plague that hit track and fieldshe wouldnt be awarded her individual gold medal until after Marion Jones was infamously stripped of her medals for dopingPauline dedicated her years on the World Athletics council to clean sport and fair play. Running Sideways is a book about determination, faith, focus, and an incredible will to succeed. Its about a trailblazer in womens sports, not just in The Bahamas, not just in track and field, but on the global stage.