Chariots & horses : life lessons from an Olympic rower

With the 2012 Olympic Games in London on the horizon, talk of high-level performance, achievement, going for gold and motivational strategy is already rising in pitch.

Olympic rower Jason Dorland knows how important it is to convey the right message about winning, and in this compelling memoir he shares his challenging journey to cultivate a healthier outlook.

Detailing his experiences rowing with the Canadian National Rowing Team and later coaching high-school crews, he reveals how a devastating performance at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, defined his life for years to come. "In it to win it," he fell apart when that didn't happen.

The same win-at-all-costs mentality that made the Olympic loss so hard to bear was also what made it difficult for him to move forward, despite his efforts to overcome his overwhelming sense of failure.

Over time, however, he came to a new level of understanding about facing challenge, and with this book he sets out to share what he's learned with coaches, athletes, business people and anyone else who needs to perform at a high level without losing their humanity or their spirit. An honest, intimate look at the reality of high-level athletics, Jason's memoir is more than a sports story; in charting his progress from struggling athlete to an inspirational coach driven to instil a healthy competitive spirit in his rowers, he shows how in sports and in life, it's all about the journey, not the outcome.