Bravey: Chasing Dreams, Befriending Pain, and Other Big Ideas
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- Create Date：2022-01-03 06:19:44
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Alexi Pappas
- ISBN：1984801147
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Summary
The Olympic runner， actress， filmmaker and writer Alexi Pappas shares what she's learned about confidence， self-reliance， mental health， embracing pain， and achieving your dreams。
"Heartbreaking and hilarious。"--Mindy Kaling - "A beautiful read。"--Ruth Reichl - "Essential guidance to anyone dreaming big dreams。"--Shalane Flanagan - "I couldn't put it down。"--Adam Grant
run like a bravey
sleep like a baby
dream like a crazy
replace can't with maybe
When "Renaissance runner" （New York Times） Alexi Pappas--Olympic athlete， actress， filmmaker， and writer--was four years old， her mother died by suicide， drastically altering the course of Pappas's life and setting her on a search for female role models。 When her father signed his bereaved daughter up for sports teams as a way to keep her busy， female athletes became the first women Pappas looked up to， and her Olympic dream was born。 At the same time， Pappas had big creative dreams， too: She wanted to make movies， write， and act。 Despite setbacks and hardships， Pappas refused to pick just one lane。 She put in a tremendous amount of hard work and wouldn't let anything stand in her way until she achieved all of her dreams， however unrelated they may seem to outsiders。 In a single year， 2016， she made her Olympic debut as a distance runner and wrote， directed， and starred in her first feature film。
But great highs are often accompanied by deep lows; with joy comes sorrow。 In Bravey， Pappas fearlessly and honestly shares her battle with post-Olympic depression and describes how she emerged on the other side as a thriving and self-actualized woman。 Unflinching， 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 an artist--foremost among them， how to be brave。
Pappas's experiences reveal how we can all overcome hardship， befriend pain， celebrate victory， relish the loyalty found in teammates， and claim joy。 In short: how every one of us can become a bravey。
"Heartbreaking and hilarious。"--Mindy Kaling - "A beautiful read。"--Ruth Reichl - "Essential guidance to anyone dreaming big dreams。"--Shalane Flanagan - "I couldn't put it down。"--Adam Grant
run like a bravey
sleep like a baby
dream like a crazy
replace can't with maybe
When "Renaissance runner" （New York Times） Alexi Pappas--Olympic athlete， actress， filmmaker， and writer--was four years old， her mother died by suicide， drastically altering the course of Pappas's life and setting her on a search for female role models。 When her father signed his bereaved daughter up for sports teams as a way to keep her busy， female athletes became the first women Pappas looked up to， and her Olympic dream was born。 At the same time， Pappas had big creative dreams， too: She wanted to make movies， write， and act。 Despite setbacks and hardships， Pappas refused to pick just one lane。 She put in a tremendous amount of hard work and wouldn't let anything stand in her way until she achieved all of her dreams， however unrelated they may seem to outsiders。 In a single year， 2016， she made her Olympic debut as a distance runner and wrote， directed， and starred in her first feature film。
But great highs are often accompanied by deep lows; with joy comes sorrow。 In Bravey， Pappas fearlessly and honestly shares her battle with post-Olympic depression and describes how she emerged on the other side as a thriving and self-actualized woman。 Unflinching， 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 an artist--foremost among them， how to be brave。
Pappas's experiences reveal how we can all overcome hardship， befriend pain， celebrate victory， relish the loyalty found in teammates， and claim joy。 In short: how every one of us can become a bravey。
Reviews
Katherine Congleton
，
I wish Alexi’s voice could guide me through every long run I ever do
Gina McDonald
，
Audiobook I’ll start this review by admitting I really struggled with her voice。 Had I read this book instead of listened to it I’m thinking I might’ve rated it a 3。5ishIt’s one of those rare memoirs I both liked and disliked。Good stuff:- I could relate to her and found the topics in her life interesting。 For 1， my mom suffered from depression and she died when I was 36。 So I understand the without a mom feeling but I was definitely grown up and my mom died of natural causes so the comparison is Audiobook I’ll start this review by admitting I really struggled with her voice。 Had I read this book instead of listened to it I’m thinking I might’ve rated it a 3。5ishIt’s one of those rare memoirs I both liked and disliked。Good stuff:- I could relate to her and found the topics in her life interesting。 For 1， my mom suffered from depression and she died when I was 36。 So I understand the without a mom feeling but I was definitely grown up and my mom died of natural causes so the comparison is not 100 percent accurate but I felt much empathy in this regard。 - Secondly， I really d hours reading about the experiences of a competitive runner。 As a runner myself I really got a lot out of hearing her training，experience ， mental strategies etc。- Thirdly she’s a strong voice in the often not talked about euros of mental illness。 We need more honest stories of people living with this very common struggle。What annoyed me:- Her voice。 I really was bothered by it’s cadence and tone。 Sounded even whiney at times。- The length。 It was long， and felt like she repeated the same topics。 For example we hear about her move twice， first in discussion of her depression then again in reference to her relationship。 It did not flow and was back and forth in time。- She becomes a little preachy。 A lot of “this is the way to drop things” instead of this is how I did them。 But I am glad I read it。 It made me think deeply。 。。。more
Trinity Buckley
，
An enjoyable read， although some chapters went on a bit too long。I would have liked to know more about Alexi's running and also about her film making and acting career。The other thing that frustrated me a bit was how Alexi described her childhood trauma as if she was the only one to have suffered trauma as a child， and when she discovered that someone else had gone through exactly the same Alexi was clearly surprised。 An enjoyable read， although some chapters went on a bit too long。I would have liked to know more about Alexi's running and also about her film making and acting career。The other thing that frustrated me a bit was how Alexi described her childhood trauma as if she was the only one to have suffered trauma as a child， and when she discovered that someone else had gone through exactly the same Alexi was clearly surprised。 。。。more
Cindy Liu
，
thank you iris for the rec <3 among my favourite memoirsrun like a braveysleep like a babydream like a crazyreplace can't with maybeso many highlighted sections， coming back to these ones for sure。。。 thank you iris for the rec <3 among my favourite memoirsrun like a braveysleep like a babydream like a crazyreplace can't with maybeso many highlighted sections， coming back to these ones for sure。。。 。。。more
Jordan Kelch
，
Fantastic！ Every female runner/athlete should read this
Kate Wood
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Part memoir， part self help book？ I liked it。 I'm planning to start training for a 10 mile tun in 4 days， so it was a well-timed read。 Part memoir， part self help book？ I liked it。 I'm planning to start training for a 10 mile tun in 4 days， so it was a well-timed read。 。。。more
Bree Homich
，
Was gifted this before I started my career so I went into it with no expectations and having never heard of Alexi。 Was a great mix of inspiration， humor， and sadness。 This one will stick with me！
Mia
，
I left this book liking Pappas - honestly， wanting to hang out with her （so I feel pretty bad about the 3/5 review， but I'm trying to be honest）。 I think the target audience is younger female athletes who look up to her that's she's dubbed "braveys"， which this book would be a 5/5 for。Pros: As someone interested in fitness， I enjoyed the sprinkles of training/mental approaches to fitness， her writing style was approachable， some interesting reflections on female mentorship and mentorship in gene I left this book liking Pappas - honestly， wanting to hang out with her （so I feel pretty bad about the 3/5 review， but I'm trying to be honest）。 I think the target audience is younger female athletes who look up to her that's she's dubbed "braveys"， which this book would be a 5/5 for。Pros: As someone interested in fitness， I enjoyed the sprinkles of training/mental approaches to fitness， her writing style was approachable， some interesting reflections on female mentorship and mentorship in general， easy read， and I think she's a fun， kind personCons: Wish there were more fitness tidbits - or even how to get good coaching， there is chapter that （view spoiler）[ discusses how money isn't a barrier if you just want it enough， and I think that perspective isn't fully accurate （hide spoiler）]， can be a little kumbaya you can do it 。。。more
Leah
，
Meh
Talia
，
Proud to be a Bravey like you。 Thank you Alexi for sharing and putting words to the illness of depression， to the rules that we make in our heads and that it’s ok to break them， and for motivation to keep going and be ok！
Jodi
，
Depression runs deeply in my family， with multiple generations suffering from it's effects。 Ms。 Pappas' openness about her struggles and healing journey are so very brave， and MUCH appreciated。 I shared this book with my therapist， with my sister and my great nephew and will read it again， and again。 Thank you， for showing me that I can be a Bravey， too。。。 and， a huge thanks to the publisher and the Goodreads giveaways， for the advance reader copy。 I am coming out of another season of my own des Depression runs deeply in my family， with multiple generations suffering from it's effects。 Ms。 Pappas' openness about her struggles and healing journey are so very brave， and MUCH appreciated。 I shared this book with my therapist， with my sister and my great nephew and will read it again， and again。 Thank you， for showing me that I can be a Bravey， too。。。 and， a huge thanks to the publisher and the Goodreads giveaways， for the advance reader copy。 I am coming out of another season of my own despair， because of the truths and the strategies I found in this little book。 。。。more
Rachel
，
Has the most relatable chapter I’ve ever read， minus one star for all the talk about bodies。 The first half was a little choppy and disconnected， but I thought it improved in the second half。
Jenny
，
Excellent and honest memoir about healing from depression and finding a healthy way through the world。
Carri
，
3。5 rounded up
Liliana Fernandez
，
alexi is incredible and reading this after seeing her run the nyc marathon this year only added to the level of respect i have for her。 i wrote down so many life lessons and quotes that were shared throughout。 the mental health chapter was a bit much and taxing but i skipped through and enjoyed it very much。
Emalee
，
This spoke to me as a former competitive runner and as a human being。 I could not recommend it more。
Christine
，
Alexi is very open and recalls candid moments of growing up and coming into her own， searching for female mentors， accepting her body， and the challenges of chasing and committing to her dreams。She details how losing her mother at the age of four left her feeling like she lacked something （at first）， and she inspires as she covers the process of how she developed and healed from depression。
Maria
，
I loved this book。 It reminds us of all our essence and fragility as humans。 I see myself a lot in the author's stories and I loved that about the book。 I loved this book。 It reminds us of all our essence and fragility as humans。 I see myself a lot in the author's stories and I loved that about the book。 。。。more
Kelsey Huse
，
Great story especially on audio book
Hilary Skunda
，
This was a very inspirational book for me。 As a person who is inside her own head all day long， musing on existential thoughts and trying to figure me and this world out， I appreciated Alexi's musings and thoughts on her life， the world， motivation， dreams， mental health and more。 I can see how some with other reviewers felt that there could have been somewhat less musings and a little more action but I think this just wasn't that kind of book。 I will say that as someone who has struggled with d This was a very inspirational book for me。 As a person who is inside her own head all day long， musing on existential thoughts and trying to figure me and this world out， I appreciated Alexi's musings and thoughts on her life， the world， motivation， dreams， mental health and more。 I can see how some with other reviewers felt that there could have been somewhat less musings and a little more action but I think this just wasn't that kind of book。 I will say that as someone who has struggled with depression her entire life， that part 5， where she talks about depression is probably the most accurate and well-described description of what it's like to be seriously depressed that I've ever read。 I want people who know me to read that chapter to better understand me。 I also found this to be an interesting read as I knew nothing about the world of professional running and appreciated hearing about the Olympic village。 I think some of the reviews that said there was too many descriptions of her thought life may not be appreciating the fact that each of us has to consider how to live this life and it's a day by day and moment by moment choice。 I certainly think it was worth the time！ 。。。more
Mandy G
，
3。5。 Parts i loved。 Parts i didn't。 3。5。 Parts i loved。 Parts i didn't。 。。。more
Sarah
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DNF。 Alexi Pappas， about whom I don't even recall knowing before I started the book， is a pretty amazing woman。 I just couldn't finish this book。 Maybe another time， or maybe not。 But she does have a lot of interesting things to say。 DNF。 Alexi Pappas， about whom I don't even recall knowing before I started the book， is a pretty amazing woman。 I just couldn't finish this book。 Maybe another time， or maybe not。 But she does have a lot of interesting things to say。 。。。more
Ella Conklin
，
I adored her story。 The raw and passionate way she talked about everything。 New loved genre unlocked！
Jess
，
My thoughts are so different on this from essay to essay。 I did love Alexi Pappas's big sister voice and found some of her advice and experiences resonated with me， but some of it felt a little too preachy for my liking。 I also take issue with people who aren't trained in psychology talking about their own experiences as if they're the standard or only path — I really don't think Pappas intended to do this， but a lot of my own biases/triggers were set off here。 I think readers who are into athle My thoughts are so different on this from essay to essay。 I did love Alexi Pappas's big sister voice and found some of her advice and experiences resonated with me， but some of it felt a little too preachy for my liking。 I also take issue with people who aren't trained in psychology talking about their own experiences as if they're the standard or only path — I really don't think Pappas intended to do this， but a lot of my own biases/triggers were set off here。 I think readers who are into athletics and know Pappas will find this more enjoyable than I did， so the issues I had are likely just my view。 。。。more
Jess Petrella
，
Wins a （personal） superlative for my most surprising read of the year。 I was really not expecting to love this one as much as I did， but here we are！！ Big Bravey now。
Sarah Mennell
，
Even as a non-runner， I loved this book。 Her tone is light and funny yet she doesn't shy away from incredibly difficult stories and the reality of both high and low points in her life Even as a non-runner， I loved this book。 Her tone is light and funny yet she doesn't shy away from incredibly difficult stories and the reality of both high and low points in her life 。。。more
Hayley
，
Five stars for the story and heart in the book。 Two stars for some of the writing that overused similies and metaphors， many of which were a little weird。 The first chapter was difficult for me to read。 Pappas shares three explicit memories of her mom and her death。 It is clearly a vital part of the story， but also an option to skip this chapter if self harm and parent loss for young kids is too much for other readers。
Maureen Neylon
，
I had no idea who this woman was， not sure how this ended up on my “To Read” list， but I’m really glad it did。 She has a great story to tell， seemed very candid and down to earth， has had to face a lot of obstacles on her pathway to success。 Her description anxiety and of the descent in to depression was really enlightening。 And ultimately encouraging， especially the fact that she requires ongoing therapy to support her。 Really readable and inspiring profile。
Susan
，
Alexi Pappas is an absolute bravey and I thank her for the many words of inspiration shared through the telling of her interesting story。 She is a daughter， sister， wife， Olympic athlete， filmmaker， and friend， who will take you through so many heartbreaking moments but yet so many hopeful， uplifting moments。 I listened to the audio that is narrated by Alexi herself and it was a wonderful way to take in this book。
Riley
，