Alexi Pappas is a modern renaissance woman. She is a professional athlete who ran in the 2016 Olympic Games. She is also a writer-filmmaker-actress who has co-created and starred in two films, Tracktown and Olympic Dreams. Now she can add published author to her list of impressive accomplishments, as her debut book Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas hits shelves in January 2021.
Taking a slightly different approach to the typical format, Pappas has constructed her memoir as a collection of essays. While sharing the most intimate experiences and details of her life, she also shares lessons learned about working toward her goals which others can apply in their own lives … how to become a “bravey,” if you will. Pappas coined this term as a way to describe those who decide, despite any fear or reservations, to aim for what they want in life, to decide who they really want to be. Pairing this internal belief system that one can “imagine things into existence” with the hard work needed to bring these dreams to life, Pappas finds joy in motivating others to embrace what she has learned and executed in her own life: that being brave does not mean being flawless or having all the answers, it means taking a chance and considering the possibility that you just might succeed.
A key facet of any good memoir is the author’s transparency and openness in sharing their story, and Pappas delivers this quality in spades. From her journey in and out of the world of competitive sports to a critical examination of women’s health and fitness, from the mental health struggles of herself and her family to the physical and mental pain which has accompanied many of her pursuits, she bares all. She also celebrates the fruits of her labor, including a recounting of her trip to the 2016 Olympics and the success of bringing two films to the screen alongside her husband.
With twenty-one essays in total, a few stand-outs are worth mentioning here:
- The very first essay, “Four Memories of My Mother,” is perhaps the most stunning of the collection, as the subject matter and sheer vulnerability of the writing collide to create an emotionally resonant experience for the reader. Pappas shares the few memories she retains of her mother, who committed suicide when Pappas was only four years old. This essay opens to the door to an exploration of the impact of this loss on her life, a theme which is woven through the book.
- In “The Mentor Buffet,” Pappas describes the process of seeking out mentorship from female figures she has admired throughout her life. From mothers of childhood friends to a college professor and an Olympic medalist she trained alongside, the personal and professional impact of these mentors is highlighted.
- Having just completed her first film and with the 2016 Olympics Games behind her, Pappas felt a pressure for what was next. In “Depression,” she shares with candor her descent into the depths of depression, a recognition of how her mother must have felt facing her own mental health battles, and the strategies that helped her move forward.
- In “The Rules,” Pappas examines how we think things are “supposed to be” and how these beliefs translate into unspoken rules in our everyday lives. Considering issues such as sexual encounters in college and the drive for perfection, she reflects on how she moved from accepting these self-imposed rules to challenging and redefining them for herself.
In Bravey, Pappas says all she’s ever wanted in her life is to matter. And matter she does, with this dazzling memoir-in-essays, as well as the lived experiences behind them all. Pappas is an intuitively skilled writer, a born storyteller. She believes in the power of willing something into existence by thinking it is possible and working hard, even when that work may be uncomfortable. She believes in the ability to shape and frame your own stories, which is exactly what she does here. Bravey is a much-needed dose of motivation, inspiration, and encouragement to stick to it and continue following your own dreams, even — and perhaps especially — when you are scared.
Bravey is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of January 12th 2021. Many thanks to The Dial Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Will you be picking up Bravey? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
“Renaissance runner” (New York Times) Alexi Pappas–Olympic athlete, actress, filmmaker and writer–shares what she’s learned about confidence, self-reliance, mental health, embracing pain, and achieving your dreams in this revealing and inspiring memoir-in-essays.
run like a bravey
sleep like a baby
dream like a crazy
replace can’t with maybe
When Alexi Pappas was four years old, her mother committed suicide, drastically altering the course of Pappas’s life and setting her on a perpetual search for female role models. When her father started signing her up for sports teams as a way to keep his bereaved daughter busy, female athletes became some of the first women Pappas looked up to, and she became a girl with a goal: to be an Olympian. Despite setbacks and hardships, Pappas held fast to that dream, putting in the tremendous hard work, both mentally and physically, and letting nothing stand in her way until she achieved it, making her Olympic debut as a runner in 2016.
Unflinching, often exuberant, and always entertaining, Bravey showcases Pappas’s signature, charming voice as she reflects upon the touchstone moments in her life and the lessons that have powered her career as both an athlete and artist–chief among them, how to be brave. She faces obstacles with optimism and finds the dark moments as important to her process as the breakthroughs, from high school awkwardness to post-Olympic depression, offering valuable wisdom on the benefits of embracing what hurts, both physical and emotional. To Pappas, bravery is inward-facing; it’s all in how you feel about yourself, as much about always believing in yourself as it is about running toward your goals.
Pappas’s experiences reveal how anyone can overcome hardship, befriend pain, celebrate victory, relish the loyalty found in teammates, and claim joy. In short: how anyone can be a bravey.
