Visions of Excellence: The Art of Achieving Your Dreams

Dean Reeds is a freelance journalist in St Catharines.

In this surprisingly good “motivational memoir,” Canadian Olympic
gold medalist Mark Tewksbury not only tells of his quest to be the best
backstroker in the world, but uses his incredible story to propose a
strategy for achieving excellence that can be applied to everyone’s
life.

Tewksbury relates the long and difficult road toward his goal. He
provides inside glimpses of two Olympics, the trauma of Victor Davis’s
untimely death, and many other events that have influenced his life. The
story of Vladimir Sainikov, who staved off retirement for eight years to
win a gold medal, is truly moving. But the most rewarding story is
Tewksbury’s own. Written with humility and candor, his book will
change the way one looks at Olympians and their accomplishments.

On the motivational side, Tewksbury focuses on hard work and
dedication, covering such areas as visualization, persistence, taking
control, teamwork, and paying attention to detail. He uses the different
stages of his swimming career to provide a context for each aspect of
his strategy.

Anyone curious about what goes into the making of an Olympic athlete
will enjoy Visions of Excellence, as will anyone who needs a bit of
inspiration.