Race of My Own: An Olympian's Quest for Self-Discovery

Race of My Own: An Olympian’s Quest is the coming-of-age memoir of Olympian Ayden Owens-Delerme. With his fearless storytelling, Owens grants the reader first-hand exposure through his journey to self-discovery. Growing up between two distinct cultures, with a black American father and a Puerto Rican mother, he grapples with a torn identity. His lack of belonging contributes to his athletic successes and personal failures, as he feels he is a race of his own—a lost soul. To discover meaning, Owens embarks on a voyage to unearth his ancestors’ voices and takes the courageous leap of contributing his own to the great human song.His narration enables the reader to try on his shoes, as he undergoes pivotal transformations in his thinking and perspective. Whereas most memoirs of athletes and superstars are written retrospectively, post-fame and success, Owens recounts a story in motion. He represents a being in action in a never-ending pursuit of truth and self-discovery of which greatness