Swimming for My Life: A Memoir (Unabridged‪)‬

In her new memoir Swimming for My Life (She Writes Press, October 11, 2022), Fairley tells the riveting true story of what she—and many other elite and female swimmers—endured on their teams. From abusive coaches and workouts that stretched the limits of what the body could endure to daily weigh-ins and extreme dieting, her journey brought not only triumph, but also trauma. And the trauma was not limited to the pool: At home, Fairley and her four younger siblings were often left alone to fend for themselves, without even money for food, as their neglectful and emotionally immature parents traveled the Midwest selling imported wooden ornaments from their motorhome. 

A peek into the dark side of elite swimming as well as a tale of family bonds, Swimming for My Life offers a rare, up-close look at struggles that are often obscured and how the very events that scar us most deeply can also save our lives.