Imagine a team who has never won gold in the Olympics. Always in a certain event bested by their political and military rivals. There are two gymnasts left which all but guarantees the gold. Until one of the youngest gymnasts double-faults. The last gymnast not only faults but seriously injures her ankle in the process. She could either sit it out like Simone Biles and surrender, or, fight through the immediate pain. Kerri Strug in Landing on My Feet illustrates her life up to and just through her own great life-changing moment.

Landing on My Feet was published about a year after the 1996 Olympics and with Kerri’s young age, there isn’t much to it beyond a childhood filled with gymnastics. However, the story is not childish, likely because John Lopez (co-writer) did the heavy lifting to make the book readable for adult audiences. While Kerri was definitely mature for her age, she was still a child through much of the book.

Kerri talks in detail about the gymnastics evolution from first getting into it at a young age with influence from her sister to her training and becoming involved with Bela’s training program.

But Kerri went through other programs as well, suffering serious injuries and, for a brief time, going through an eating disorder at the behest of another trainer. As with other gymnasts, Kerri was injury-prone as most people would be when a single mistake could permanently change your life. And she had a few of those moments.

Fortunately, there isn’t any fluff within this book. All-too-often autobiographies travel into unnecessary detail overstaying their welcome. Perhaps this is Lopez’s great influence. And as it comes in at under 200 pages, its a perfect size for what it is meant to be.

The narrative leading up to the momentous vault is incredible and emotional. It can’t compare to the actual video or even seeing it for the first time on live TV as the events unfolded as the story of the Magnificent Seven was pumped out for days. Even so, the narrative around that moment is excellent.

This book provides a step into a time-warp, especially if one was able to witness the event. To have a deeper understanding of what Kerri went through even before the 1996 Olympics is an interesting tale. If at all interested in sports or pop cultures of he 1990s, Landing on My Feet is a must-read book. It is only unfortunate the title is so drab and boring; what about Strugging It Off? only then give it the boring subtitle.