GOOD FOR A GIRL

A moving and insightful memoir and manifesto about the challenging life of an elite female athlete, Lauren Fleshman who became a poster girl for Nike ‘Objectify Me’ 2007 campaign and a national US champion in distance running. Winner of ‘Sports Book of the Year 2023’ this is a fantastic Wild Card choice for book clubbers, whether you like to run or have family and friends that are sports enthusiasts and talented athletes.

‘Good for a Girl’ tells the story of a woman running in a man’s world. Fuelled by her years as an elite runner and advocate for women in sports, Lauren Fleshman offers her inspiring personal story and a rallying cry for reform of a sports landscape that still appears to be failing young female athletes, even in 2025!

Fleshman’s account takes the reader back to her early years at high school, being spotted and encouraged to follow her talent and passion for running. Lauren Fleshman loved to run and this raw and honest account presents the challenges of her own body as she grows from a young teenage girl into a woman and the affect this has on her performance. The writer also shares what she witnessed amongst her talented peers and how they all subconsciously were compelled to be a certain weight, follow a ‘healthy diet’ as proposed by their coaches, in the main men, to ensure they were always race ready, regardless of their every changing bodies. As well as appreciating Fleshman’s single mindedness and ambition to carve a career as a professional long distance runner, we also learned about her own personal battles with injuries and self-doubt and with this her compelling fight for a better approach for female athletes.

The book raised plenty of questions in the Den, especially amongst those whose own girls were engaged in local running clubs and other athletic disciplines. The challenges are still there and whilst Fleshman’s proposed manifesto appears ambitious, and it feels like a long list, book clubbers appreciated her courage to confront her sponsors and be involved in challenging the narrative for female athletes and their future.

As Malcolm Gladwell points out, "Women’s sports have needed a manifesto for a long time. With 'Good for a Girl' we finally have one".

Definitely a book for sharing!