Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a lovely memoir. Although I know little about the world of elite sports, much less elite track, I enjoyed learning about all the ins and outs of the sport and all that athletes go through to reach the Olympic trials.

What Telfer went through in order to do the same was eye-opening, as we get an inside look at the vague and never ending extra rules trans* athletes are subjected to. If, as Telfer writes, cisgender athletes were subjected to the same level of scrutiny and body policing as trans* individuals, many of them likely would not even qualify due to the lack of a hard binary in physical sex anyway.

I really felt for Telfer and admired her strength as she faced hurdle after hurdle (not just on the track) in trying to realize her lifelong dream of competing at the top. She is very honest about her experience, recounting not just her successes but also the times she had major doubts about her career in the sport, either due to hardships like experiencing homelessness, dealing with complicated extra regulations, or even facing verbal abuse and death threats from the public. The way she talks to and about herself in light of all she has dealt with was however so empowering and a joy to read!

If you like memoirs, you would probably like this because in addition to her journey as a top athlete, Telfer also writes about her childhood in Jamaica and the violent homophobia/transphobia she experienced there, her strained relationship with her family, her experiences moving abroad to Canada and finally around the USA, and all her friends and found family along the way.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

At turns harrowing and hopeful, “Make It Count” is the inspiring story of CeCé Telfer—the first openly transgender woman to win an NCAA title. Her journey spans continents, adversity, and the pursuit of her Olympic dreams.

CeCé’s upbringing in Jamaica was marked by transphobia, yet she found solace in running. After relocating to Toronto and then New Hampshire, she discovered the transformative power of the sport. But her path was far from smooth—living out of her car while searching for a coach, training in Mexico for the US Trials, and facing relentless controversy.

This book captures the essence of resilience, athleticism, and the fight for personhood. CeCé’s story transcends the track—it’s about being alive, moving through space, and claiming her identity. A powerful testament to courage and determination. 🏃‍♀️🌟

Wow what an amazing book. Such a resilient strong woman, she didn’t deserve to have to deal with anything. I can’t wait to see her win at the Olympics one day.

Although CeCé Telfer’s memoir is a difficult read at times, I hope it is read widely and helps people understand and empathize with the transgender experience. She tells her story in a very heartfelt way that I found easy to connect with. My heart broke for her when I read about how abusive her family of origin was and the bullying and threats of violence she was subjected to. Although I occasionally wondered how reliable she is as narrator, I think she has shared her truth as she experiences it.

One of the things I found most eye-opening about her story is the absolute certainty she expresses from a very early age about being a girl. I was hoping that her story would also help me understand the controversy about transgender athletes competing in sports, but I think I was left with more questions than answers. It seems unfair that some sports organizations are banning transgender women from competing, but I also think the world is not ready to accept female athletes solely based on self-identity as Ms. Telfer seems to believe should be the case.

I sometimes felt frustrated reading Ms. Telfer’s story because of some of her questionable decisions and unrealistic expectations of others. I also found the narrative a bit choppy at times and wish she had provided a bit more context about the passage of time. But overall, I found this an interesting and worthwhile read.

I was provided an unproofed ARC through NetGalley that I volunteered to review.

I'm giving this book 3.75 🌟
I think her story is really important to read. I believe everyone should go into it with an open mind to learn about her personal experience competing as a trans athlete. She persevered through a lot of hate and negative interactions and never gave up.

With that said, I do have some critiques that lowered the rating for me. This book is written in first person present tense which really threw me off, especially when she was a young child. It read like a diary, but weren't diary entries. Because of this I really wish the book added more dates to keep track of the time frame. I also had some misgivings in regards to Cece's treatment of her friends in the book. She expected people to show up for her always but she didn't show up for them in the same way, stating the relationships met their expiration dates when people set boundaries with her.

Overall I respect her story and find it inspiring how she got up after being knocked down so many times.

Thank you Net Galley and Grand Central titles for giving me the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review

Telfir's account of her struggles to be recognized and accepted as a trans woman and an elite runner was heartfelt and compelling reading. I was not surprised by the hatred and the discrimination she faced, but it still broke my heart to read about it. Whatever your opinion about trans women being allowed to compete with the gender with which they identify, it's to be hoped that you'll be as incensed as I was about the death threats she received and the inability of those in the elite running community to treat her fairly. It's one thing to have rules that disqualify someone from competition, but it's quite another to make up new rules just to exclude a specific person. Fair is fair, and Telfir was not treated fairly.
I don't know if Telfir had a ghost writer, but if not, I think her editor should have excised some of the choppiness in the narration, especially in the beginning chapters. It seemed appropriate to adopt a staccato pace when talking about the events surrounding a given race, but its overuse got a bit monotonous.
That said, I think anyone looking to understand the controversy surrounding trans women competing with cis gender females from a trans woman's point of view should read this book. I came away from it really admiring Telfir for her courage and her persistence in fighting for her right to be seen and accepted as the female she has always known herself to be. I also admired her allies: the runners who were not afraid to compete against her, as well as the people who befriended her and essentially saved her life.
Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for providing me with a pre-publication copy.

This book was not very good. It was very boring to read and I ended up DNFing it at 20 percent. I personal would not recommend this book.

Please read and share this book, CeCe Telfer deserves the chance to make her dream come true! However you identify, please recognize that we are all human and all in this life together. We need to lift each other up not tear each other down. I'm rooting for you CeCe, I would love to watch you take the gold!

"Make It Count" is an important story. I hope the book is widely read and that Ms. Telfer and her story can inspire other transgender athletes and help change people's heart and minds so that discrimination against transgender athletes (and the wider transgender population) can be diminished. Ideally, the discrimination would end entirely but realistically there will always be people who are closed-minded and prejudiced. Hopefully World Athletics will eventually realize the error of its ways and change its policy; and hopefully this will occur soon enough that Ms. Telfer still has a chance to pursue her Olympic dreams someday (maybe 2028 in Los Angeles?).

Ms. Telfer is open about the struggles she has faced (and continues to face) trying to live and compete as her authentic self, including periods of deep depression and profound dysphoria. However, Ms. Telfer has also been lucky enough to find supportive friends and surrogative family. Attending Franklin Pierce University turns out to be one of the best decisions she made, as she found a supportive coaching staff and administration, as well as making enduring friendships. I was happily surprised at how much support university staff provided Ms. Telfer, and the willingness of the coaches and administration to deal with the "controversy" caused by Ms. Telfer competing in collegiate athletics, especially her final year, when she was able to compete on the women's team.

Wow. What to say about this incredibly eye opening memoir of trans athlete and Olympic hopeful Cece Telfer. I am an ally, but still found myself facing my own biases as I read Cece Telfer’s story. Put your personal opinion of trans athletics aside, and read this book.

Cece has known her whole life what her true gender is, but her culture, fear of the loss of her mother’s love, fear for her safety, and rejection kept her living a double life. Her story is full of prejudice, fear, perseverance, heartbreak, discrimination, and an amazing support system she built despite the odds.

Cece does a wonderful job articulating her mental health struggles amidst her experiences, sometimes more clear through her telling of events than discussion of her mental health specifically. Although a few moments feel a bit repetitive, for a story about running and the trans experience, it is gripping and insightful,

A heartfelt and emotionally tugging account of CeCé's coming of age and continuous overcoming of adversity. She does not spare the reader her feelings and puts you in the uncomfortable, but necessary, perspective of her struggles. She provides a humorous, witty, and frank account that many people would struggle to speak of, let alone put in print. This is an excellent work that is worth not only a read, but a discussion in open spaces as well.

If you follow lgbtqia rights at all, you've heard about the battle facing trans athletes about participating in sports. This story follows the life of CeCé Telfer, the first trans athlete to compete as a trans person and become the first trans Olympic runner. We follow their struggles, triumphs, and life. Make It Count is a must read for anyone who's invested in the trans movement and wants to understand more about the struggles and triumphs of trans athletes. I loved this book, its unflinching and poignant writing, and will definitely be recommending this book to everyone I know.

Content Warnings: Transphobia, Homophobia, Homelessness, Gender Dysphoria

Telfer’s memoir is vivid, poignant, and compelling as it moves through each stage of her life and the challenges she has faced, and continues to face, as a Black, trans woman athlete. From her childhood in Jamaica and Canada to her time in college and beyond, she skillfully describes how she navigated from living a double life to building an authentic self and supportive network. She never shies away from describing her difficulties, but also throughout maintains a positive, forward looking mindset.

Most of all, Telfer recognizes the transformative potential that a sports narrative can provide. She purposefully uses her work to not only share her lived experiences but also to call out the blatant discrimination trans athletes face. Her section describing her attempts to compete internationally revealing how the testosterone testing guidelines are vague, if accessible at all, the difficulty in finding good medical and athletic care, and the long term effects of managing her testosterone levels were eye-opening to me, but powerful in how they clearly laid out the varied barriers to reaching her goals.

I read through this book in one setting because of how invested I was in Telfer’s experiences. I think many will find inspiration and representation in this narrative that are needed, particularly in light of the contemporary spike of anti-trans sentiments. Telfer embodies the ideals of being the change one wants to see in the world. I highly recommend this book and am glad I read it.