The story of Ryk Neethling is much more than the story of a triumphant sportsman. It is the story of a fiercely determined swimmer from Bloemfontein who overcame great odds – a near-drowning, social awkwardness and family tragedy – to become an Olympic champion.

The story of Ryk Neethling is much more than the story of a triumphant sportsman. It is the story of a fiercely determined swimmer from Bloemfontein who overcame great odds – a near-drowning, social awkwardness and family tragedy – to become an Olympic champion. In this autobiography, Ryk tells of his travels to the US to pursue his Olympic dream; the experience of winning gold in Athens in 2004; the murky world of steroids in sport; his ongoing battle with the sport’s administrators; his struggles with his Afrikaner identity; and his rejection of a multimillion-dollar offer to swim for another country. The title will take the story up to the end of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in which Ryk will become the only South African to compete in four successive Olympic Games.