The Olympics, the biggest international sporting competition in the world, started with the original Olympics in ancient times, held in Olympia, Greece from the 8th century BC to about the 4th century AD. Back in the olden days, the games grew out of a religious festival that was held every four years—that's why we still hold it every four years today! There were some other, bigger differences too—all athletes were men, and they competed without any clothes. Women also weren't allowed to watch. Bummer!
Fun Fact: The Olympic Flame, the ceremonial fire the travels the world before the Games and stays lit through the ceremony, always begins its journey in Greece. At the temple of Hera in Olympia, historical re-enactors put the Olympic Torch in a mirrored bowl, using the sun to light the Flame. The Flame is then carried by international representatives on a tour all over the world—torchbearers often include local heroes, people who have made a difference. Who would you pick in your community to carry the Olympic Torch?
After many different attempts to bring back the games, the version we know started in 1896. A lot has changed since then—the 1896 Olympics had 14 nations and 241 athletes. The Paris Olympics will have 206 nations and 10,714 athletes! There are also 32 different sports—this Olympics marks the premiere of a brand new event, for the sport of breakdancing. The Olympics continue to evolve, allowing special people from all over the world to compete against each other. There's also now the Paralympics, an event that recognizes the skills of athletes with disabilities.
Do you love the Olympics? Or maybe you just want to know more! Read on for some resources on the Olympics, and the many stories that they inspire.
- Documentaries and Nonfiction
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The first globally broadcast swim match, the one-hundred-meter at the 1924 Olympics, saw three great swimmers shatter records and invite unprecedented scrutiny about race, class, and celebrity. This book traces the careers and rivalries of these men and the epochal times they lived in.
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Path Lit By Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David Marinass
Jim Thorpe rose to world fame as a mythic talent who excelled at every sport. Most famously, he won gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. A member of the Sac and Fox Nation, he was an All-American football player at the Carlisle Indian School, the star of the first class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and played major league baseball for John McGraw's New York Giants. Even in a golden age of sports celebrities, he was one of a kind. But despite his awesome talent, Thorpe's life was a struggle against the odds.
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Coming Up For Air by Tom Daley
In this deeply personal memoir, the celebrated Olympic Gold Medal diver and LGBTQ+ advocate discusses his struggles, triumphs and how he developed the mindset to compete at an elite level. Fun fact: Tom Daley is also a knitter and crocheter! Check out his book Made with Love for 30 "gold-medal-standard" patterns.
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This book tells the story of the University of Washington's 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. It traces the story of the team that defeated elite rivals at Hitler's 1936 Berlin Olympics, sharing the experiences of their enigmatic coach, a visionary boat builder, and a homeless teen rower. This book is also available in a format for young readers, as well as a Book Club Kit!
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Briana Scurry was a pioneer on the US Women's National Team. She won gold in Atlanta in 1996, the first time women's soccer was ever played in the Olympics. She was a key part of the fabled "99ers," making an epic save in the decisive penalty-kick shootout in the final. Scurry captured her second Olympic gold in 2004, cementing her status as one of the premier players in the world. She was the only Black player on the team, and she was also the first player to be openly gay. It was a singularly amazing ride, one that Scurry handled with her trademark generosity and class--qualities that made her one of the most popular players ever to wear a US jersey.
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Summer, 1984. The nation watched Michael Jordan grow from college basketball player to professional athlete and star. ESPN rose to media dominance as the country's premier sports network. The first modern, commercialized, profitable Olympics took place in Los Angeles. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird's rivalry raged, Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe reigned in tennis, Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon made pro wrestling a business, and Donald Trump pierced the national consciousness as a pro football team owner. Wertheim shows how summer, 1984 was the moment when sports began to morph into the market-savvy, sensationalized, moneyed, controversial, and wildly popular arena we know today.Image
The Heart is the Strongest Muscle: How To Get From Great To Unstoppable by Tia-Clair Toomey
Tia Toomey, the world's fittest woman, has won the CrossFit Games an incredible six years in a row and is undeniably a true warrior. She has also trained for the Winter Olympics in bobsledding, competed in the Summer Olympics in weightlifting, and was a Commonwealth Games gold medalist. She is, in short, one of the most accomplished and dominant athletes in human history. But for Tia physical fitness is only a small part of overall strength. More important is building mental toughness.
- Movies and Books Inspired By The Olympics
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This movie, based on a true story, is all about the real life Jamaican bobsleigh team that premiered at the 1988 Winter Olympics. As athletes from a tropical nation, the bobsleigh team had the odds stacked against them—how do you learn and compete in an icy sport in a country where it never even snows? This comedy is inspired by their larger-than-life story. Another comedy based on a real-life Winter Olympics athlete is Eddie the Eagle.
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Don't Tell Me You're Afraid by Giusseppe Catozzella
Based on a remarkable true story, an unforgettable Somali girl risks her life on the migrant journey to Europe to run in the Olympic Games At eight years of age, Samia lives to run. She shares her dream with her best friend and neighbor, Ali, who appoints himself her "professional coach." Eight-year-old Ali trains her, times her, and pushes her to achieve her goals. For both children, Samia's running is the bright spot in their tumultuous life in Somalia.
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Based on the infamous events surrounding the sports rivalry of Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan, Margot Robbie plays the complicated Tonya, a skilled figure skater who struggles to be recognized for her true talents. As others reach the fame and recognition that Tonya craves, she, and the people around her, will make some bad decisions in the quest for glory.
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Head Over Heels by Hannah Orenstein
The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri. Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she's surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.
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The story, told in flashback, of two young British sprinters competing for fame in the 1924 Olympics. Winner of several Academy Awards.
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Knight of the Ice series by Yayoi Ogawa
A rom-com manga on ice, perfect for fans of Princess Jellyfish and Wotakoi. Kokoro is the talk of the figure-skating world, winning trophies and hearts. But little do they know... he's actually a huge nerd! From the beloved creator of You're My Pet (Tramps Like Us). Chitose is a serious young woman, working for the health magazine SASSO. Or at least, she would be, if she wasn't constantly getting distracted by her childhood friend, international figure skating star Kokoro Kijinami!
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Based on true events, the dark and fascinating story of the unlikely and ultimately tragic relationship between an eccentric multi-millionaire and two champion wrestlers.
- For Kids
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Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First US Women's Olympic Basketball Team by Andrew Maraniss
Twenty years before women's soccer became an Olympic sport and two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the '76 US women's basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women's sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels. Though they were unknowns from small schools such as Delta State, the University of Tennessee at Martin and John F. Kennedy College of Wahoo, Nebraska, at the time of the '76 Olympics, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball.
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Who is Katie Ledecky? by James Buckley Jr
Katie Ledecky began swimming competitively at age six after watching her mother and brother in the pool. By age fifteen, she was setting records and winning gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics. And with each year, Katie improved her skills and her times in the water! The Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris will be Katie's fourth, and the world will be watching.
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How Do You Become An Olympian? by Madeleine Kelly
Come along to learn all about the Olympics and Olympic athletes! This fun question and answer book has everything from engaging facts to hilarious illustrations to help you learn about the history of the Games, how athletes become Olympians, famous Olympians and their accomplishments, and so much more.
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Fearless Heart: An Illustrated Biography of Surya Bonaly by Frank Murphy
A biography covering Surya Bonaly's rise from a young French girl in love with ice skating to her triumphant backflip landing at the 1998 Olympics. Surya's fearless heart propelled her to always stay true to herself while pursuing her boldest dreams.
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Traveling Shoes: The Story of Willye White, US Olympian and Long Jump Champion by Alice Faye Duncan
This never-before-told story of Black sprinter and long-jumper Willye B. White chronicles her journey to competing in and winning the 1956 and 1964 Olympics, showing how her mantra, "I believe in me," helped her overcome obstacles and the turmoil of the Civil Rights Movement.
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The Race of the Century: The Battle to Break the Four-Minute Mile by Neal Bascomb
There was a time when running the mile in four minutes was believed to be beyond the limits of human foot speed. In 1952, after suffering defeat at the Helsinki Olympics, three world-class runners each set out to break this barrier: Roger Bannister was a young English medical student who epitomized the ideal of the amateur; John Landy the privileged son of a genteel Australian family; and Wes Santee the swaggering American, a Kansas farm boy and natural athlete. Spanning three continents and defying the odds, these athletes' collective quest captivated the world. This version is adapted for young readers; older readers can check out The Perfect Mile.
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Victory. Stand! Raising My Fist for Justice by Tommie Smith
A groundbreaking and timely graphic memoir from one of the most iconic figures in American sports -- and a tribute to his fight for civil rights. On October 16, 1968, during the medal ceremony at the Mexico City Olympics, Tommie Smith, the gold medal winner in the 200-meter sprint, and John Carlos, the bronze medal winner, stood on the podium in black socks and raised their black-gloved fists to protest racial injustice inflicted upon African Americans. Both men were forced to leave the Olympics, received death threats, and faced ostracism and continuing economic hardships. In his first-ever memoir for young readers, Tommie Smith looks back on his childhood growing up in rural Texas through to his stellar athletic career, culminating in his historic victory and Olympic podium protest.
Some descriptions adapted from the publisher.