A Chance to Dare: The Don Bragg Story - Softcover

Bragg, Don; Doherty, Patricia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1589393422 ISBN 13: 9781589393424

Publisher: Virtual Bookworm.Com Pub Inc, 2003

Synopsis

It all started with Johnnie Weismuller swinging through the jungle with his trademark Tarzan yodel -- and right into the heart of a scrawny, butt-end-of-everything kid from the Jersey swamplands. Swinging on makeshift ropes, Don Bragg emulated his hero, amassing the upper body strength that transformed him into an unlikely natural for pole vaulting. His confidence developed more slowly. In fact, it took a herd of spiteful pigs to catapult Don into Villanova and collegiate sports. Though a quirk of fate kept him off the 1956 Olympic team and out of the movie role of Tarzan, Don kept chasing his gold medal. In 1960, despite a nude canoe trip and a near miss with a meat grinder, he finally won Olympic gold in Rome. Next, Don gave Hollywood a try, but after facing down a loaded gun, he high-tailed it back to the normalcy of New Jersey. Despite injuries, business disappointments, and a close call with terrorists, Don opened a camp for disadvantaged kids with an assist from Muhammad Ali, who delighted in beating up Tarzan. Though his dreams of a blissful retirement foundered on misplaced trust, Don rediscovered his center within his family and in the enthusiastic promotion of his sport.

About this title

About the Author

Olympic gold medalist Don Bragg's career began with imitating Tarzan on backyard rope wings and culminated in the Olympic gold medal in pole vaulting. Dedicated to the twin goals of excellence and helping others, he later served on the staff of Governor Hughes of New Jersey, established a summer camp for underprivileged boys, and was the founding Director of Athletics at Richard Stockton College. His circle of friends has included Rafer Johnson, Muhammad Ali, Rosie Grier, Bob Richards, Wilma Rudolph, Johnny Weissmuller, and Bill Cosby. Don now resides in the San Francisco Bay area with his wife Theresa, surrounded by children and grandchildren. He has received numerous honors, and is regularly invited to special athletic conventions and events.

PATRICIA DOHERTY A native of Washington, D.C., Patricia Doherty had been writing sporadically since childhood, but her career began in earnest when she slammed a mystery story shut in despair, declaring she could write better herself. Her husband challenged her to do it. The result was The Face of Evil (Denlinger's), the first of the Dismas Shaunessey mystery series. Her literary output ranges from articles for the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Religion to compact disc liner notes, a novella, poetry, and children's stories, as well as a body of interviews and feature articles on opera.

About this edition

• Publisher: Virtual Bookworm.Com Pub Inc
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1589393422
• ISBN 13: 9781589393424
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 264