August 24, 2015

Bobbie Rosenfeld: athlete extraordinaire


Bobbie Rosenfeld: The Olympian Who Could Do Everything
by Anne Dublin


To many sportswriters, Fanny "Bobbie" Rosenfeld is one of the greatest athletes of all time. While today's athletes are known for their prowess at a single sport, Bobbie excelled at everything: hockey, softball, basketball, and track. She even won trophies in discus, shot put, javelin, and broad jump; the first three were in events for which she was competing for the first time! Her natural ability was much admired, as were the teamwork, generosity and fair play that she often embodied, making her a worthy role model. Tragically, her career was cut short by arthritis when she was only twenty-five years old.

Rosenfeld's life story is engagingly told by Anne Dublin, generously supplemented with black-and-white photos and intriguing sidebars. She also does an excellent job of describing Rosenfeld's achievements as it pertained to Canadian history and the status of women in politics and sports. A detailed timeline and well-researched back matter round out this top-notch book.





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