Over It: How to Face Life’s Hurdles with Grit, Hustle, and Grace

In this buoyant debut, Jones, a three-time Olympian in hurdling and bobsledding, recalls her path to success in order to encourage readers to overcome adversity through faith and hard work. Never mincing words, she details how the challenges she faced as a biracial child growing up in a poor family—with a hardworking single mother and a father in prison—led her to love competition and the stability it provided. Jones describes learning about the faithfulness of God at the local Salvation Army, developing a strong work ethic, and discovering how hard work helped her overcome the shame of poverty: “The humiliation of how poor we were touched every part of my life, even the parts I was unconscious of until I looked back.” Her talent at hurdling in high school won her a college scholarships, and she details how she gradually learned to trust her college coach, with whom she still maintains a strong relationship. In looking back at the devastation of hitting the ninth hurdle in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Jones stresses that life isn’t about wins and losses; rather, “It’s about the peace and joy I possess while winning and losing.” Jones’s heartfelt reflections will speak to and inspire Christians struggling with disappointment. (July)