The Olympian

I dare greatly, and I shall live my life as no ordinary man bound by a game of chance.

John Baxter Taylor

Running is his sacred ritual. As his legs gracefully carry him around the track at the University of Pennsylvania, he feels the wind in his face and freedom at his back. It is 1905, and John Baxter Taylor Jr. is three years away from representing the United States at the Olympic Games in London, where he will become the first African American Gold Medalist in Olympic Game history.

Taylor does everything in his power to live an uncommon life and overcome the barriers that block his path. As he transforms himself from a skinny boy who pushes his fellow athletes to their limits to one of the best quarter-milers in the world, he beats not only his competitors on the track, but his detractors in the classroom. He earns a degree in veterinary medicine; he becomes a member of the first black fraternity; he wins Olympic gold. Whatever paths he treads, John Taylor Jr. transcends prejudice of race and social class to earn his place among those rare people we call champions.

This compelling historical novelthe story of one mans unyielding determination to achieve his dream despite seemingly insurmountable obstacleswill inspire you to remember that glory does not die, but is passed on to the next person willing to carry the torch in their heart.