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Strong Like Her

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Available April 2020
Order now wherever books are sold

An adult version of the hugely successful book Strong Is the New Pretty, this is an inspiring tribute to female athletes—those who have paved the way throughout history and those who continue to push the boundaries of what it means to be strong.

From being kept out of the sporting world by most ancient Greeks to being told by The New York Times that the 800-meter race was “too great a call on feminine strength,” women have long had to fight against the perception that to be strong is not feminine.

Yet today, as women reclaim space in business and politics, we are also seeing an explosion in the number of women participating in strength sports like powerlifting, CrossFit, and even American Ninja Warrior. Those who got us here and defied convention to bring equality to the world of physical strength finally get their due in Strong Like Her—from the first female Olympian (who entered the chariot race through a loophole) to the “Queen of Muscle Beach” Pudgy Stockton, who dazzled crowds by holding her husband over her head.

Accompanied by stunning celebrity photographs of some of today’s most exciting athletes, Strong Like Her is a group biography and cultural history, paying tribute to women pioneers in athletics and celebrating the beauty of female strength and power.

STRONG LIKE HER in the News

Strong Like Her

The Inclusive History Podcast,
October 20, 2021

Beach Babes and Women in the Water

The Inclusive History Podcast,
October 7, 2021

Female Athletes During the Victorian Era

The Inclusive History Podcast, 
September 20, 2021

Interview with Chris Shelor

Shelor Select, September 10, 2021

Superhero Ice-Water Swimmer

Geneseo Scene, July 2021

Broken But Never Beaten

University of Dayton Magazine,
May 21, 2021

The History of Women in Sports
The Krissy Krash Podcast, January 20, 2021

Haley Shapley Discusses 'Strong Like Her' on WOWSA Live
World Open Water Swimming Association, January 16, 2021

Books Sandwiched In: Haley Shapley Discusses Her Book 'Strong Like Her'

New Haven Free Public Library,
January 12, 2021

Nominee for WOWSA Award
2020 Offering of the Year

World Open Water Swimming Association (WOWSA), January 3, 2021

11 Sports Books from 2020
to Consider

Cleveland.com, December 8, 2020

History's Strongest Women 
BarBend Podcast, December 7, 2020

"Strong Like Her" Celebrates the Game-Changing Women in Sports

BarBend, December 1, 2020

Books in Brief

Kansas Alumni, Issue 4, 2020

Gift Guide: Supporting Local Women-Owned Businesses

Seattle Refined, November 30, 2020

Interview with Nicole Mangina

The 425 Show, November 24, 2020

What It Means to Be a "Strong" Woman

Espresso with Erin & Sarit,
November 19, 2020

Author Haley Shapley and Strong Like Her

HERstory on the Rocks podcast,
November 16, 2020

Those Who Came Before: Pioneers in Women's Strength Sports

Morning Chalk Up, November 8, 2020

This New Book Presents the Powerful Account of Female Strength Throughout History

Boxrox, November 5, 2020 

Global Gender Stories Panel

SheThePeople Women Writers Fest, September 26, 2020

425 and South Sound Magazine Women to Watch 2020 Recap
South Sound Magazine, September 25, 2020

Columbia Falls Businesswoman Empowered by Bodybuilding
Hungry Horse News, September 16, 2020

Flex Time

The Pennsylvania Gazette, September/October 2020

We've Got the Power
Shape, September 2020

Kitsap Native Haley Shapley Features Strong Women in "Strong Like Her"
Bainbridge Island Review, August 29, 2020

Waynesboro Alum, Fitness Star Holly Rilinger Dishes on Love, Travel and Personal Trauma

Staunton News Leader, August 27, 2020

This Seattle Writer Is One of 2020's Women to Watch
KING 5's Evening, August 11, 2020

A Deadly Disaster, a Daring Australian — and Modern Women's Swimwear
Only a Game (NPR/WBUR),
August 1, 2020

Women to Watch 2020
425 Magazine, August 2020

Book on Feminine Strength Redefines What It Means to Be Strong
JenniferMargulis.net, June 24, 2020

Jamie's Bookshelf: A Rundown of Recently Published Sports Books for Your Summer Reading List

Northern Kentucky Tribune, June 12, 2020

Review of Strong Like Her

Sport in American History, May 30, 2020

5 New Books to Read in Lockdown This Week

Irish Examiner, May 13, 2020

Bibliotaph

Sophisticated Living, May/June 2020

Interview with Jessica Luther
Burn It All Down, April 28, 2020

(interview starts at 32-minute mark)

 

Interview with Zerlina Maxwell and
Jess McIntosh

Signal Boost, April 24, 2020
(interview starts at 49-minute mark)

Interview with Cara Poalillo

The Ninjababes Podcast, April 24, 2020

If We Think Women Are Physically Weak, Haley Shapley Breaks the 'Rules'

SheThePeople, April 22, 2020

Author Spotlight: Haley Shapley

Writer's Digest, April 21, 2020

5x5: Debut Authors Whose Novels Were Disrupted by COVID-19

Bookstr, April 21, 2020

Book Review: Strong Like Her

New Orleans Review, April 16, 2020

Interview with Yasmine Haro

The Mistress of the House of Books,
April 14, 2020

"Strong Like Her" Celebrates Barrier-Breaking Women Athletes

Ms., April 11, 2020

Things Cheering Us Up at Home

Seattleite, April 11, 2020

Interview with Rex Andrews

The Pathway Podcast, April 10, 2020

Interview with Adriana Trigiani

A Mighty Blaze, April 9, 2020

Interview with Mike Matthews: Legendary Female Athletes

Muscle for Life podcast, April 8, 2020

This New Book Celebrates the Strength of Female Athletes, Including Dancers

Dance Magazine, April 7, 2020

Telling the Stories of Women of Strength

The Kitsap Sun, April 7, 2020

Force of Nature

Seattle magazine, April 2020

Here’s a List of 20 New Books You Must Read While Self-Isolating
The Tempest, March 26, 2020

Strong Like Her Excerpt

Ms., February 5, 2020

Jonathan Albon Interview: What It's Like to Take Part in the Spartan Ultra World Championship

The Times (UK), January 5, 2019

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