Brilliant photos, plus fun, self-told stories that reveal the personalities of some of our greatest soccer athletes!
About Portrait of Passion
Portrait of Passion is an inspirational book about women's soccer by sports photographer, Paul Phillips, and teen writer, Gail Stewart. This 148-page book brings to life and celebrates triumphant stories from a very talented, accomplished and inspirational group of female athletes—the players on the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.
You'll see tons of pictures of today's great players—Abby Wambach, Kristine Lilly, Heather O'Reilly, Christie Rampone and more. Some of the pictures are from the player's days growing up. But most are by top sports photographer Paul Phillips, who followed the team from US to China to capture dramatic game action and candid shots off the field. These unguarded moments show another view of sports personalities rarely seen.
Gail Stewart adds another dimension to the book, creating insight into the lives of these special players. Her in-depth interviews with each of the players on the 2007 team reveal what it's like to be a top athlete in the world arena. She discovers what it means to grow up with a dream, and then, what kind of passion it takes to make that dream a reality. She probes into the women's past, painting portraits of their childhoods and families, their friends and pastimes, and goals beyond soccer.
The reader is drawn into the lives of players like Lori Chalupny, Hope Solo, Leslie Osborne and Natasha Kai to learn what makes them tick and what motivates them to reach for their peak performance during games, practice and training. It's a story of passion that knows no bounds.
Portrait of Passion is endorsed by the U.S. Women's National Team Players Association and by soccer legend, Julie Foudy, who wrote the foreword.
Paul Phillips is a sports photographer whose company Competitive Image photographs soccer, running, triathlon and skiing events around the world. He has received national recognition as lead photographer for the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, the ING Georgia Marathon, the Best of the US National Amateur Triathlon Championship, the Minnesota Thunder Soccer Team and Copa Minnesota. In addition he is a FIFA-accredited International Photographer. Among several publications, Paul's photos have been used by Runner's World, Inside Triathlon, Triathlete Magazine, and Velonews.
Gail B. Stewart is the author of more than two hundred books for children and young adults. Her books are in school libraries all over the country. She received her undergraduate degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. She did her graduate work in English, linguistics, and curriculum study at the College of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota. She taught English and reading for more than ten years. Stewart and her husband live in Minneapolis. When she is not writing she enjoys reading, walking and watching her sons play soccer.
Julie Foudy was inducted into the Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007 along with Mia Hamm. She is the former captain, and was a 17-year veteran, of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team. During that time the team won Olympic Gold Medals in 1996 and 2004 and a Silver Medal in 2000. The team also won two World Cup championships, in 1991 and 1999. Foudy is currently a commentator for ESPN soccer broadcasts. In addition she runs the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy, which teaches students what it takes to be a leader on the field and in life.
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