Rise and Shine
The Monica Abbott Story
“The name “Monica Abbott” will be revered throughout the history of our sport—not just as an outstanding athlete, but an outstanding role model and person.”—Michele Smith, ESPN analyst and two-time Olympic gold medalist
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When she was in fifth grade, Monica Abbott declared that she would one day become an Olympic athlete. In the decades that would follow, her prediction would prove stunningly true, as she would not only compete in the Games but go on to claim two Silver Medals as pitcher for Team USA softball. Today, Abbott’s trail of shattered records from twenty-plus years of professional play has become a sign of positive change for female athletes everywhere.
In Rise and Shine, Abbott chronicles significant lessons and experiences from her childhood, her University of Tennessee and professional softball years, her time in the Olympics, and beyond. Throughout the book, she shares insights cultivated on her journey, offering them to readers of all ages and skill sets who are likewise endeavoring to bring their lives into contact with their dreams.
How do we set goals that seem out of reach? How do we thrive even while overcoming obstacles? And perhaps most importantly, how do we turn our successes into advantages for others? With a foreword by ESPN announcer and two-time Olympian Jessica Mendoza, Rise and Shine is more than a record of medals and firsts; it is the story of making dreams come true and of lifting others with you as you rise.
MONICA ABBOTT is an American professional softball star who pitched for Team USA and for Toyota Motor Corporation in the Japan Softball League. She earned seventeen championship titles, two Olympic Silver Medals, and multiple MVP awards. She was a nine-time All Star and five-time Pitcher of the Year in the National Pro Fastpitch League. On February 21, 2023, she announced her retirement from professional softball.
DEBBY SCHRIVER is the author, most recently, of Whispering in the Daylight: The Children of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries and Their Journey to Freedom. ROB SCHRIVER is the coauthor of Christhiaon Coie’s Mama Said: A Daughter’s Escape from the Alamo Christian Foundation.