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These Heavy Black Bones

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About this listen

 *Listed as one of TIME's 18 Black leaders working to end the racial wealth gap*

In Kenya the pool was green and surrounded by concrete so hot it burnt the soles of her small feet. She didn’t know any different. A decade later she would be double British Champion and the first Black women ever to swim for Great Britain. But this story is not about making history.

As her body and mind are sharpened through gruelling training, press scrutiny, and the harshness of adolescence, Rebecca questions who she is swimming for, and what the onward journey to the Olympics will cost her.

A compulsive and unforgettable study of intensity, These Heavy Black Bones meditates on Blackness, identity, and the ecstasy of peak physical performance. In stunning prose, Rebecca charts her careers’s ascent, her singular love of the water, and lays bare the pressures within her swimming world.©2024 Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell (P)2024 Canongate Books Ltd Best of 2024 Sports Water Sports Swimming

Critic reviews

"As a teenage swimmer, Ajulu-Bushell realized that being exceptional came with a cost. Struggling with the pressure she felt to succeed in a predominately white sport, she quit while training for the 2012 Olympics" (TIME)

"Speaks about the intensity of training and the pressure of often being the only Black woman poolside" (Women's Health)
All stars
Most relevant
I enjoyed learning about the athletes journey. I could relate to the Olympics because I libbers in Stratford

The reality

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This is high quality writing. It's eye opening and quite a hard read, but there are some inspiring moments in there. The description of the perfect race is outstanding. Rebecca narrates it herself and her matter of fact, slightly world weary style fits perfectly. Ultimately I came away feeling a bit depressed but I learnt something and I'm glad I listened to it.

Tough read but worth it

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Such a well written and enlightening book. Really allowed me to understand the highs and lows that Rebecca went through during her swimming career. I really felt the emotion in her writting and how challenging periods of her life have been too. Would totally recommend this book to anyone. One of the best books that I’ve listened to.

Incredibly well written and a fascinating listen.

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I was transfixed by Achieng’s personal account of the rigorous training routines and pressures of competitive swimming. The insights into her experiences at her school and her relationships with her coaches and friends is often
emotional and complex. Achieng’s view of herself and the reflections on her own race were fascinating. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Loneliness and sacrifice

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