Lunch and Learn returns with special guest s Liz Robbins and McKenzie Coan in conversation with the Prince George's C ounty Office of Human Rights and the Prince George's County Memorial Libra ry System discussing "See It To Be It" by Billie Jean King with Liz Robbin s.
\nRegistration not required. C lick on the YouTube video linked below to stream the program live or watch the recording later.
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About the Book: \;
\nGlobal Sports Icon and Equality Champion Billie Je an King Introduces the Next Generation of Women&rsquo\;s Sports Superstars in "See It To Be It: Eleven Champions Leading Women&rsquo\;s Sports Today . An inspiring nonfiction collection for teens celebrates today&rsquo\;s m ost exciting women athletes&mdash\;and empowers young readers to claim the ir place in sports. Billie Jean King turns the spotlight on the future of women&rsquo\;s sports.
\nIn collaboration with journalist Liz Robbin s\, King profiles eleven trailblazing athletes who are redefining excellen ce\, visibility\, and opportunity in sports today. More than fifty years a fter her historic 1973 &ldquo\;Battle of the Sexes&rdquo\; victory proved women athletes deserved equal recognition\, King now introduces young read ers to the stars carrying that legacy forward and proving the same thing e very time they play. Through compelling profiles and exclusive personal ph otos\, See It to Be It celebrates athletes at the top of their game&mdash\ ;on the field\, court\, track\, ice\, and beyond. Featured athletes includ e global icons Naomi Osaka\, four-time Grand Slam tennis champion\, and Ca itlin Clark\, the record-breaking basketball star and WNBA Rookie of the Y ear\, alongside rising and barrier-breaking talents the two-time Olympic G old Medalist Kendall Coyne Schofield (hockey)\, Diana Flores (flag footbal l)\, Amit Elor (wrestling)\, Nikki Hiltz (track)\, McKenzie Coan (Paralymp ic swimming)\, \;Midge Purce (soccer)\, Chelsea Gray (basketball)\, Ke lsie Whitmore (baseball)\, and Asjia O&rsquo\;Neal (volleyball).
\nE ach story highlights perseverance\, identity\, and leadership. &ldquo\;You don&rsquo\;t have to be an athlete to enjoy this book\,&rdquo\; King writ es in the book&rsquo\;s introduction\, adding\, &ldquo\;You just have to b e curious about history and about what makes champions tick. The title of this book is the reason I wrote it\, a mantra I have always repeated: &lsq uo\;If you can see it\, you can be it.&rsquo\; I hope seeing the journeys these remarkable young people took to become trailblazers will inspire you to write your own story.&rdquo\;
\nDesigned for both avid sports fa
ns and readers seeking real-life inspiration\, "See It To Be It" speaks di
rectly to a critical moment in young people&rsquo\;s lives. Research shows
girls&rsquo\; participation in sports drops sharply in
early adoles
cence\, making the preteen and teen years crucial for confidence\, physica
l health\, and long-term wellness. This book offers powerful motivation to
stay in the game by sharing true stories that empower young athletes and
prove that legends aren&rsquo\;t just born\, they&rsquo\;re made&mdash\;bo
th on and off the playing field.
Find the book in our collection: Book |
\nAbout the aut hors: \;
\nBillie Jean King is a global sports icon\, e quality advocate\, and bestselling author. A 39-time Grand Slam champion a nd former world No. 1 tennis player\, she has spent her career fighting fo r equal pay and opportunity in sports and in life. She is the first woman athlete to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the first indi vidual woman athlete to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. King founded the Women&rsquo\;s Tennis Association\, the Women&rsquo\;s Sports Foundat ion\, and is part of the ownership groups of the Los Angeles Dodgers and A ngel City FC. A bestselling author\, King lives in New York City with her partner\, Ilana Kloss. Learn more at billiejeanking.com.
\nLiz Robbi ns is a New York-based journalist who covered the NBA\, Olympics\, tennis\ , and local news for The New York Times for 19 years. Her first book\, "A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York" (about the New York City Marathon)\, was a New York Times Editors&rsquo\; Pick. She teaches high school journalism for The School of The New York Times.
\nAbout our guests: \;
\n
Liz Robbins is a New York-based journalist who cove red the NBA\, Olympics\, tennis\, and local news for The New York Times fo r 19 years. Her first book\, "A Race Like No Other: 26.2 Miles Through the Streets of New York" (about the New York City Marathon)\, was a New York Times Editors&rsquo\; Pick. She teaches high school journalism for The Sch ool of The New York Times.
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McKenzie Coan is a professional swimmer\, public speaker\, disability advocate\, and author. She first took to the w ater for aqua therapy to help with her osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bo ne disease). But it wasn&rsquo\;t long after her brothers joined a swim te am that she declared her days in the "baby pool" over. Coan made her first U.S. Paralympic National Team at 15 in 2012 and has been a part of Team U SA every year since. She competed in the 2012 Paralympic Games in London\, and in 2016\, she won four medals in Rio de Janeiro\, including three gol d. At the 2020 Tokyo Games\, she defended her title from Rio in the 400-me ter freestyle and took second in the 100 free. She is an eight-time World Champion and two-time world record holder in the category S7 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyles.
\nCoan published her first book\, "Breaking Free &ndash\; Shattering Expectations and Thriving with Ambition in Pursui t of Gold\," in 2021. The memoir explains why she believes her genetic con dition happened for her &ndash\; not to her &ndash\; and how she lives an unexpectedly full life while performing at the top of her sport.
\nY ou can find out more information about McKenzie's book "Breaking Free &nda sh\; Shattering Expectations and Thriving with Ambition in Pursuit of Gold " here. \;
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