As Fast As I Can
Reviewed By Janet Mawdesley June 6, 2020
Author Penny Tangey
Distributor: UQP
ISBN: 9780702262814
Publisher: UQP
Release Date: April 2020
Website: https://www.uqp.com.au
As Fast As I Can is much more than entertaining look at facing up to real life challenges, viewed through the eyes of ten year old Vivian and her family, as they struggle to cope with a devastating illness and the fall out that will mean Vivian will not be able to live her dream of representing Australia at the Olympic Games when she is older.
Vivian was not one to give up lightly as she had a dream, a big, huge dream to follow, she just was not sure how she was going to make it happen, as in her family they had the belief that if you worked hard enough, you could achieve whatever you wanted!
Her friend Olivia is pretty good at sport; they trained together using Olivia’s backyard, measured out a sprint track, but becoming a sprinter was not to be, neither was long jumping a success. Gymnastics was great, but after trying and trying Vivian realised that was not the pathway to the Olympics. Eventually cross country running for the school sports captured Vivian’s imagination and she began training like mad to be able to be the best possible on the day, maybe even to win.
She had in the most unexpected way, discovered a sport she was really good at; one that could take her to the Olympics in 2016 if she trained hard enough and believed in herself.
This absolutely gripping story from Penny Tangey looks at what happens when dreams come tumbling down, that life often comes with pathways already built in and that learning to dream big is wonderful, but sometimes those dreams need to change directions, even if you are only ten years old.
From the first page Vivian and her determination to never give up, sets the scene for a heartfelt story that will captivate, as very carefully woven within is strong message to children everywhere to believe in yourself, to follow your dreams but when change comes, as it often will, to change course but keep on dreaming and believing.