Crawl of Fame: Julie Moss and the Fifteen Feet that Created an Ironman Triathlon Legend

by Julie Moss

Overview

In 1982, Julie Moss ran the Ironman triathlon for her college senior research project. Her idea was quirky, even crazy; only a handful of hardcore, highly trained enthusiasts competed in the little-known, 140.6-mile combination of swimming, cycling, and running. Julie brought no experience or appreciable training beyond running two marathons. She did bring a latent willpower that, the world soon found out, wouldn't be denied. What happened next changed Ironman forever . . .

After becoming the unlikely leader during the marathon, the final leg of the Ironman, Julie fell and lost all bodily function fifteen meters (50 feet) from the finish. While on hands and knees, she watched her rival pass her. Thirty seconds later, she crawled across the line-stunning the millions who were watching on television. At age twenty-three, Julie became the instant global icon, and the public face of fitness and endurance sports - which exploded in popularity, partly because of her inspiration. That this young co-ed would represent such a new sport was unlikely. That she would inspire millions to change the courses of their lives in the three decades years since was unthinkable. Yet, it happened.

And keeps happening. In April 2017 Julie won her age group in the Ironman North American Championships-racing 25 minutes faster than her 1982 Ironman. How does a 58-year-old woman beat the time of her 23-year-old self? Which begs the question, could she also beat her 1982 time in the more demanding Kona?

That's the goal, and the world will find out in October 2018. Crawl of Fame is the long-awaited release of her incredible story. Julie describes how she found her greater purpose while lying across the finish line at Ironman 1982 - and how that greater purpose as a woman, athlete, endurance sports symbol and, now, iconic figure has defined her life and inspired others since.

Several endurance sports athletes have written memoirs, but none have changed a sport so dramatically as Julie Moss. Now, readers will join the inner and outer journey of one of the world's most impressive athletes, a woman who has already inspired millions - with millions more to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781643133430
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	08/10/2021
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	376
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.94(d)

About the Author

Julie Moss is a member of the Ironman Hall of Fame, U.S.A. Triathlon Hall of Fame and a ten-time Ironman competitor. She was the 2012 Triathlon Business International Female Athlete of the Year and was the 2017 Ironman North American Champion in her age group. Julie has served as a commentator for ABC, NBC, CBS, and the Goodwill Games. Julie is a member of the Hoka One One sports team been featured in People, Sports Illustrated, ESPN: The Magazine, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times. She lives in San Diego, California.

Table of Contents

From the Coauthor xi

Foreword Armen Keteyian xv

Prologue: Fifteen Feet… xvii

1 How Do You Spell T-R-I-A-T-H-L-O-N? 1

2 Cannon Blast: Here We Go! 15

3 A Finish Like No Other 24

4 Going Viral, Circa 1982 37

5 One Article, Two Careers 50

6 Training Wheels 61

7 My Fifteen Minutes 74

8 Girl Power! 92

9 Riding the Wave: The Rise of Endurance Sports 106

10 Gripped: Finding Mark Allen 119

11 1989 142

12 Passing the Torch 155

13 Shifting Focus 168

14 Baby Grip Arrives 176

15 Out of the Spotlight 184

16 When Iron Breaks 198

17 Surfing Tsunamis: Raising Mats 214

18 A Hard Bottom 227

19 Can I Go Faster? 237

20 Mother & Son on the PCT 248

21 Kathleen 260

22 Kona 2017: What Contingency Plan? 270

23 My Iron Twin 289

24 Be Amazing at Any Age 302

Epilogue 319

A Week in the Life of Julie Moss 323

Acknowledgments 331

Editorial Reviews

"For pure drama in the essence of sport, and finding yourself somehow, some way, in the most demanding of circumstances . . . there's a reason this has stayed with me for all these years. It is the greatest display of courage I've ever seen in a sports event."--Armen Keteyian, New York Times bestselling author and former Chief Correspondent, CBS Sports and 60 Minutes

"More than any other in history, Julie's race in 1982 was a display of indomitable strength in the human body and spirit, and changed the face of triathlon and of Ironman forever. Her story captures the profound and positive impact that ironman and one race can have on someone's entire life, and will undoubtedly inspire and encourage all who read it."--Chrissie Wellington, Four-time Ironman World Champion and author of To the Finish Line and A Life Without Limits

"The greatest show of courage in the history of Wide World of Sports."--Jim McKay, host of ABC's Wide World of Sports

From the Publisher

"The greatest show of courage in the history of Wide World of Sports."

Jim McKay

"More than any other in history, Julie’s race in 1982 was a display of indomitable strength in the human body and spirit, and changed the face of triathlon and of Ironman forever. Her story captures the profound and positive impact that ironman and one race can have on someone’s entire life, and will undoubtedly inspire and encourage all who read it."

Chrissie Wellington

"For pure drama in the essence of sport, and finding yourself somehow, some way, in the most demanding of circumstances . . . there’s a reason this has stayed with me for all these years. It is the greatest display of courage I’ve ever seen in a sports event."

Armen Keteyian

"The greatest show of courage in the history of Wide World of Sports."

ABC’s Wide World of Sports host Jim McKay

"A courageous account of dealing with disappointment as an athlete and an individual, and a powerful testament to the importance of not giving up on oneself."

Booklist

"The greatest show of courage in the history of Wide World of Sports."

ABC’s Wide World of Sports host Jim McKay

A courageous account of dealing with disappointment as an athlete and an individual, and a powerful testament to the importance of not giving up on oneself.

Booklist