Golden Lily

"Lijia Xu is a true sailing champion... an inspiration for sailors, particularly female sailors, around the world. But, as this fascinating autobiography reveals, there is far more to Lily than the medals she has won... Lily was the first ever Asian dinghy gold medallist. To achieve this, she had to supplement the Chinese emphasis on relentless training with help from outside China to really hone her sailing skills. On top of this, she has to overcome inherited physical frailties and career threatening injuries. Golden Lily is an enthralling account of Lily's life, whilst also being a fascinating eye-opener into the Chinese sports 'machine', where people like Lily become professional sportspeople at the age of 10, shedding light on the reality of growing up as a state sponsored child athlete... I have nothing but respect for Lily. I commend this book to anyone interested in sailing, sport or the differences between east and west." (Sir Ben Ainslie); 'I was totally fascinated by Lijia Xu's story. It is quite remarkable that she was able to overcome the rigid demands of the Chinese authorities and obtain a European coach. What she has achieved is therefore all the more remarkable.' (Bob Fisher); 'Gain an insight to what makes a gold medallist tick.' (Yachts & Yachting); 'The book is a gold mine of information for a person looking to improve in any sport or in life in general. Without all the tips, the book is still a 'must read' just for the story. Everyone I met who has read the book has been amazed. I guarantee that once you start to read you will not be able to put the book down.' (Laser World); 'Astonishing honesty about her struggle to succeed in sailing ... Lily very much had to design her own path to success, something practically impossible in a culture which values unquestioning obedience to elders and those of higher status. How could she possibly overcome these insurmountable barriers? Read her book to find out.' (Yachting Life). “This book provides a fascinating peak into a very different system of living and training. One which Lily both accepted and then eventually broke away from to study in the UK, despite the threats to lose her life-long privileges as an Olympic Champion.” (SailWeb) “Lily’s honest and heart-felt autobiography gives a rare insight into the relentless physical training and unquestioning mental compliance. Learning to think for herself, she describes eventually going on to achieve her dream of becoming an Olympic gold medallist… This book offers an excellent opportunity to get inside the mind of a gold medallist and learn about what it takes to win at the highest level. It also offers a fascinating insight into the vast sporting machine behind Chinese athletes.” (Gybe, Summer 2016)