Age Is Just a Number: Achieve Your Dreams at Any Stage in Your Life

If you've read the most recent Michael Phelps book, No Limits, don't let that dissuade you from reading this. And if you're choosing between the two, choose this one. The Phelps book is really just a "sports" book (with all the negative connotations that brings), while this is much more -- infinitely more interesting, and much better written as well. Torres and her co-author, Elizabeth Weil (who I suspect deserves a lot of credit for making this the book it is), have produced a highly readable, inspirational story that stretches from the early years of Torres's success through the 2008 Olympics. There's also a surprising level of candor about the ups and down Torres has experienced, from eating disorders to her marriages breaking up. Will non-swimmers like this? I think so, but I don't really know. I'm a swimmer, and so I was really impressed with the detailed descriptions of what Torres did to prepare for her success. Long story short, it took a level of commitment that few people could ever make. Nor is this a book just for women. Your reviewer is male, through and through, and there was nothing in this that smacked of any kind of feathery "women's power" type messages. For those interested in reading more about swimming and the commitment needed to reach world-class levels, two other books worth reading are Gold in the Water by P.H. Mullen and Champions by Daniel Chambliss (Torres is featured in both). Both are extremely well reported, and well written as well, though long out of print.

I'm a 62 year old male who has never won anything ever. I train for the enjoyment and to compete with myself. Each word of this book motivates me to get out and train. She has so many challenges in life, but meets these challenges with strength and energy. Her story of her dad's death brought me to tears. I'm elevating my workouts. I've bought the audio version so I can listen in the car. Thanks Dara. You are amazing. Tom

"If you've ever thought your own story won't have a happy ending, you should read this book. Dara has a keen understanding of what it's like to hit mid-life with unfinished dreams. Through Dara's story you'll learn that the aging process isn't only about what we loose but also about personal growth and learning from people life puts in our path."

Reading about Dara's life is definitely a roller coaster of emotions. As she points out, there is always something good to counter what is bad. The birth of Tessa followed by the death of her father. Making Beijing, followed by her coach Michael Lohberg, becoming extremely ill. This is the yin and the yang that makes up Dara Torres. She speaks openly about her first marriage to an abusive husband and her attempts to keep peace. Her struggles with infertility as she watched her brothers and sister have kids. And her most triumphant moment when Tessa was placed on her chest for the first time after giving birth. These are just a few of the moments she relates to her fans that make you realize that she's not always Wonder Woman in a Speedo. She also talks of her fears of letting so many down as her story became bigger than life and much more important than she herself anticipated. Dara didn't set out to be a superhero to middle-aged America. But, once she accepted her new role, she embraced it. Throughout her struggles and triumphs she remained focused on her one goal of winning and wanting nothing less. Her ability to handle adversity and still come out on top is what makes this woman so amazing. And throughout it all keeping her sense of humor whether it be discussing her giant swimsuit while pregnant or walking in on the guy in the bathroom while in a rush to get ready for her race in Beijing. The title of 'role model' is used loosely in America but if you were to choose one role model to follow, especially for your daughters to follow, it's Dara Torres. Do yourself and your teenage daughters a favor and make "Age is Just a Number" mandatory reading.

I thought this book would be light and fluffy like a little purry kitty cat. I thought I knew her story. Surprisingly, I was blown away with the accolades that Dara Torres deserves for her life story. A jock is just a jock but not in these pages. What unfolds in the Torres story are the dreams of a little girl who chooses not to grow up in a privileged way that is a platter that could be served before her but with discipline that she defines through a rigorous swim schedule at a very early age in her young life. We see her in her early days flopping around near her radiant young mother only to swim away from her with bigger dreams. Never before will you read an athlete's autobiography and see a competitive spirit that defines this Olympian just build and build. You feel her sweat. It's all too real. Away from her parent's glamorous life, is the story of one young woman striving for dreams that mere mortals only dare to dream. Although the Olympic medals are draped around her neck so young, we see her then battle demons that come with the ugly side of fame, and her almost demise with bulimia. We see her as an everyday us, facing divorce, and problems with the sometime complications of pregnancy. Each time Dara Torres sets off off on an Olympic quest, the chapters read like an Indiana Jones chapter, with her always overcoming some odds that are there for her to face. Age Is Just A Number but Dara Torres proves that her very presence is for us to bear witness to such a remarkable life story both in and out of the pool.