4.25 ⭐️

I am fascinated by CrossFit and get unreasonably into watching the CrossFit games. The level of drive, work and determination it takes to be a top CrossFit athlete blows my mind. It’s extreme. So I love it.

I was thrilled to get the chance to read Brooke’s memoir and it did not disappoint.

Did I feel like I was watching Brooke’s performances and recovery real time? I sure did. And her commitment to physiotherapy and how highly she spoke of the PTs she worked with absolutely warmed my heart. Sure I wished I was her PT, but that’s beside the point.

This is a captivating memoir that shows how hard work can pay off but it takes everything you have.

The only thing I didn’t love was the stylistic choice to not use any quotation marks, which could have only been in the earc, I’m unsure. And that’s a personal preference.

I will continue to cheer Brooke on at future games. If you have any interest in CrossFit or high level athletes I highly recommend this memoir.

I’ve never done a CrossFit workout. I’ve never watched a CrossFit competition. But I was still riveted by Resilient: The Untold Story of CrossFit’s Greatest Comeback by Brooke Wells.

In the 12th event of the 2021 CrossFit Games, Wells dislocated her elbow and had to withdraw from the competition. Immediately her sole focus was on healing and returning for the 2022 competition and she wouldn’t hear of any other outcome.

This kept me turning pages and I completed it in one sitting. Thank you to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the free book to review.

I have been a casual CrossFit fan for several years now and have watched most of the recent CrossFit Games documentaries every year, so I knew who Brooke Wells was but since she was never really highly featured in the docs I was only vaguely aware of her injury. After reading her story of her epic comeback from that injury I am now officially a Brooke Wells fan.

If you’re in the mood for an sports comeback story I highly recommend this book. It’s both emotional and inspiring and Brooke proves that she is one to watch!

I am a huge fan of Brooke Wells and this title intrigued me from the very first line. I loved reading about this powerful woman's story that wasn't widely known in the cross fit games.

This was an engaging read that kept me captivated the entire time

Crossfit is a sport that I've always been fascinated with. I did a briefly for a couple of years and admire the athletes who train hard for the yearly Crossfit Games. Brooke Wells is an athlete who has consistently impressive through her participation in the sport of Crossfit. her new book, Resilient, is based of a period of a year of her life when she went from her darkest and most tragic injury to her impressive comeback a year later.

This book had me intrigued the entire time I was reading it. I was rooting for Brooke as she went from an injury that she didn't know she could come back from to surgery to her incredible comeback story. Such a great read. Highly recommend

If you are looking for a memoir that is motivating and inspiring, look no further than Resilient by Brooke Wells. I am a huge Crossfit fan, and the story of Brooke's comeback from a dislocated elbow to placing in the Crossfit Games is an incredible story.

I found the story to be completely engrossing, forcing me to read late into the night to finish the journey. The book is easy to understand, even for someone who is not into Crossfit, and anyone who has ever competed in any sport will empathize with Brooke's drive and spirit.

In short, I loved the book, and would highly recommend reading her story, particularly for anyone facing a difficult recovery. Her never give up spirit will encourage anyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of Resilient: The Untold Story of CrossFit's Greatest Comeback by Brooke Wells. The opinions in this review are my own.

Sitting in the stands at the 2021 Crossfit Games and seeing this injury happen real time was gut wrenching. Reading about it and all the events that happened afterwards to get Wells back to competing shape is pure grit.

The audiobook is worth listening to since she reads it herself!

This was a very inspiring story. I was impressed by her writing and her attention to detail. I also appreciated that even though I knew the outcome, the story was still suspenseful.

Powerful. Inspiring. Gripping.

It’s no secret that Brooke Wells is an incredible athlete and that takes serious time, training, stamina and RESILIENCE.

What I loved most about Brooke’s story in the aftermath of her elbow injury and undergoing Tommy John surgery is that despite the obvious obstacles she faced in order to get ready for the qualifying events for the CrossFit Games, she remained steadfast in her beliefs.

I am a newly NASM trained Health and Fitness Trainer, and one of the ideas of self efficacy we discussed is maintaining one’s beliefs in the importance of movement, exercising and healthy habits. To me, throughout Brooke’s journey to her comeback she relied heavily on her beliefs and reminding herself that if she was able to train, and able to compete before her body will do it again.

Positive self talk, focusing on one step at a time and maintaining belief were all key components of Brooke’s comeback, and it was incredible hearing her story to becoming the best athlete she could be despite facing adversity.

Inspiring but the writing is so slow. I wanted to care about Brooke, I wanted to cheer her on, but, honestly, I kept counting the remaining pages to read.

I love reading memoirs and this one was so inspiring. I’m dealing with being sick right now and I just want to be in the gym so this helped me pass the time. I loved her story and she has always inspired me. I give it 5 stars

As a member of CrossFit, I am riveted by this sport and Brooke Wells is one of my favorite athletes. Much of our world watched her injury in horror, and cheered from our screens afar as she clawed her way back to the games. This short memoir details every moment of that grind.

I would say its target audience is definitely cross fitters but any athlete would find value in this. Brooke and her ghostwriter do a good job explaining the sport for the layperson. I read this in one sitting and found it compelling and inspiring.

On the last night of the 2021 CrossFit Games, ten thousand fans watched in horror as Brooke Wells’ elbow dislocated under the weight of a 190-pound barbell. This is the extraordinary story of what happened next: How Wells pulled off a highly improbable comeback that transformed her mentally and physically into one of the fittest women in the world.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I enjoyed this book. I didn’t know who Brooke Wells was before I started reading this book. I don’t know anything about CrossFit and I didn’t know any of the CrossFit terminology that was used in this book but that didn’t make it hard for me to enjoy this book. I found it very interesting and inspiring. I like reading comeback stories. I would recommend reading this book even if you don’t know anything about CrossFit and if you like inspiring comeback stories. You don’t have to know anything about CrossFit in order to read this book.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for gifting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

"Resilient: The Untold Story of CrossFit's Greatest Comeback" details how Brooke Wells fought back from Tommy John surgery.

"Resilient" showcases the competitive mindset that professional athletes must possess in all aspects of life. Their dedication to their craft shows why only a select few can call themselves professionals. Wells attacked every obstacle life threw at her with enthusiasm and grit. The book takes you through Wells's long and arduous journey, from the moment she dislocated her elbow to the challenges of physical therapy and the mental hurdles of recovering from an injury. The story highlights why Wells is one of the best in the world at what she does. Her comeback was not just a physical obstacle but an all-encompassing battle she ultimately won.

I am far from a professional athlete, but I can only imagine how difficult it must be to slow down and take things easy during recovery when you're used to giving 110%. At times, it became evident that Wells wanted to give more, but her body wasn't ready. My biggest takeaway from reading "Resilient" is that when a professional athlete like Wells has to go from pushing themselves to the limit to giving less than their all, it can play tricks with their mind and confidence.

How an athlete overcomes adversity is what separates the great from the average.

As a casual fan of CrossFit, I have a basic knowledge of the terminology and even recognized some of the bigger names mentioned in the book. Therefore, the flow of Resilient was pretty easy for me to understand. However, for those unfamiliar with CrossFit, a lot of CrossFit terms and phrases are used in the book, but they certainly don't take away from Wells's story.

Brooke Wells is probably one of the most inspiring athletes in the game, and her redemption and recovery story from her absolutely wild elbow break during the 2021 Crossfit games was everything you want it to be.

Starting right from the moment of the break, to the panicked and painful moments following and then through the year of her recovery to her unbelievable comeback in 2022, you get an honest, vulnerable and full view on everything Brooke experienced, felt, thought and endured as she struggled her way back to fighting form.

It is honestly insanely inspiring to read, and honestly, refreshing to know that even the most fit human beings in the world struggle with those workouts, with any workouts, and have these incredibly off days where they aren't just naturally superhuman. Brooke does a terrific job of reminding us of the fallible humans behind the performances, and I came out of this book an even bigger fan of hers than when I went in.

If you are looking for a book to inspire and motivate you, to realize anything is possible if you keep putting one foot in front of the other, then let this be a book to kick off your 2024 reading list.

Many thanks to St Martins Press for the copy!

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word “Resilient: Able to recover readily, as from misfortune.” That is exactly what author Brooke Wells accomplished. She recovered from dislocating her elbow to compete in the 2022 CrossFit Games. I am familiar with CrossFit and have many friends who train in their gyms, but was not familiar with their national competition. I enjoyed this grueling comeback story that Brooke Wells achieved. She is an inspiration to those trying to recover from an injury. Brooke’s story resonated with me because my daughter suffered a sports injury and had to fight through self doubt, fear and anxiety as she recovered and successfully came back to play volleyball.

I should preface this review with the fact that I know very little about CrossFit other than what I read in this book and did not know who Brooke Wells was prior to reading either. This is Brooke's story about a serious injury that came at the worst time - during the CrossFit Games when she was in very good standing - and the effect it had on her physically and emotionally. It's a personal look at what it means to have an injury/setback as a competitive athlete and how even when you think you are at your lowest and your confidence is shaken, you can still come back stronger than ever. Her resilience and determination to get back to what she loves as soon as possible were inspiring, if at times I was nervous for her because she was getting back into things so quickly. I think this book is best suited for sports/exercise fans because they might appreciate it and relate more but anyone who is looking for a good comeback or motivational story will find this to be a heartwarming inside look at what it takes to overcome a setback. I personally found it a little difficult to get into but it is a worthy read.

Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Leading up to the 2021 CrossFit Games Season, Brooke Wells was ready to finally break on to the podium. She was charging up the leaderboard until a tragic accident during the One-Rep Snatch event where she dislocated her elbow under an exceptionally heavy barbell. Resilient is the story of her comeback, and yes, resiliency! Brooke explains how and why she moved through recovery so quickly, and how it was all worth it when she returned to the competition floor only months after surgery.

I have been a fan of the CrossFit Games and Brooke Wells for almost ten years. I was watching the live stream when Brooke was injured, and as a fan it was heartbreaking. This book was a great insight into her personal trials, her reaction to a devastating end of a great year, and her strength and she battled back against the odds.

Wow, what a story of resilience! I am familiar with the crossfit world, but not enough to have known of Brooke Wells so I was going into this story completely unaware of her story. It is wild the determination of professional athletes and mesmerizing to read about. Definitely recommend!