SWIMMING FOR MY LIFE
A Memoir of Competitive Swimming, Trauma, and the Fight for Self-Discovery
"Fairley’s pure, raw honesty keeps you wanting to read page after page as she starts to question whether she is living her dream or someone else’s.”
--Dara Torres, 12x Olympic medalist, Swimming, Author, Broadcaster, Model
Swimming for My Life, the latest memoir from award-winning author Kim Fairley, is a powerful, honest account of life as a competitive swimmer during the early years of Title IX. This gripping story explores the emotional toll of elite athletics, the pressure to perform, and the buried cost of chasing someone else’s dream.
Published by She Writes Press and distributed by Simon & Schuster, the memoir dives deep into the psychological and physical demands of competitive swimming during a pivotal time for women in sports. It’s a coming-of-age story rooted in resilience, ambition, and the lifelong impact of trauma.
About Kim Fairley
Kim Fairley is a Michigan-based memoirist and visual artist who writes candidly about family secrets, personal growth, and overcoming trauma. Her work explores what it means to live truthfully in the face of inherited expectations and emotional burdens.
She is also the author of:
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Shooting Out the Lights: A Memoir
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Boreal Ties: Photographs and Two Diaries of the 1901 Peary Relief Expedition
Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Kim studied at the University of Southern California and earned her MFA in mixed media from the University of Michigan. She is currently working on a series of children's chapter books.
Learn More or Buy the Book
Explore the full story of Swimming for My Life—a memoir about swimming, survival, and self-rediscovery.
See Kim Fairley's interview in Authority Magazine
