Review of The Most Unlikely Champion
Posted: 05 Aug 2021, 04:43
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Most Unlikely Champion" by Vera Koo.]
The Most Unlikely Champion is a memoir by Vera Koo with Justin Pahl. This book follows the life of Vera Koo, a petite Chinese-American woman who reached the top of a male-dominated field. Her journey in this field started quite simple and as a hobby. She had no idea that through hard work and persistence, she would become one of the world’s most accomplished professional women’s shooters.
Vera Koo was raised in a traditional Chinese home setting where a woman’s place was by her husband and her priority was to serve her family. She was married to her soulmate, Carlos. Together they went through life’s struggles and were each other’s support system. Their relationship was tested on many occasions and from different angles. Vera Koo managed to turn all the pain she faced into something constructive. She mentions that she found God when she was at her lowest and it helped her to know that He was always watching over her. Vera Koo’s story is one of persistence, determination, hard work, forgiveness, hope, and resilience. She gave shooting her best, even when she was physically impaired. Through years of practice, she gained respect in the field. She talks about how it was hard to gain respect in a man’s world. She dealt with a lot of devastating losses. She never lost hope. She always found the strength to get up and move forward. She reinforces this lesson throughout the book. At the end of the book, there is a list of the championships she won and records she set. It is very inspiring to see what she accomplished.
I found a lot of things about this book appealing. Firstly, I loved Vera Koo’s story. All the life lessons I learned are also something that I appreciate. Being from a traditional African setting myself, I related to almost everything she said. The title of the book encapsulates her story very well and that is not something I come across very often. Justin Pahl did an amazing job of telling Vera Koo’s story. It is a story that needed to be told. Not only is it inspiring to women all over the world, but it is also inspiring to anyone who wants to make it in a field that is not traditionally tailored to them. I loved Vera Koo’s humility in all of her achievements. That is one lesson I am certainly not going to forget. Having exceeded expectations in a field where the men looked down on her, I was very surprised that she still managed to take lessons from men. The fact that she disregarded all the negative comments and let her work speak for itself is also something I found to be remarkable. Another thing I loved was the photos of Vera Koo in the book. I have to disagree with what her mother said. She has both inner and outer beauty.
Being a Christian, I was very pleased with how Vera Koo regarded her relationship with God. She went to Him for help. She turned to Him when everything else failed to bring her happiness and comfort. That is a quality I want to be able to instill in myself. Vera Koo’s story helps put a lot of things in perspective. She was very honest about her relationship with her husband. I thought this is something a lot of people would have preferred to keep to themselves but Vera Koo was brave enough to be completely honest. I also learned important lessons about family from this book. Her story also showed me that it is never too late to pursue your dream. Hard work and persistence will pay off. This motivated me to keep working hard at what I want to accomplish in life. It may take time but with God’s grace, everything will turn out great.
I found nothing to dislike about this book. Due to impressive editing, a great story, and admiration of Vera Koo’s story, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to everyone who needs motivation and wants to prepare for life’s hardships to come out strong. It is a good motivational book for people from all walks of life.
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The Most Unlikely Champion
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The Most Unlikely Champion is a memoir by Vera Koo with Justin Pahl. This book follows the life of Vera Koo, a petite Chinese-American woman who reached the top of a male-dominated field. Her journey in this field started quite simple and as a hobby. She had no idea that through hard work and persistence, she would become one of the world’s most accomplished professional women’s shooters.
Vera Koo was raised in a traditional Chinese home setting where a woman’s place was by her husband and her priority was to serve her family. She was married to her soulmate, Carlos. Together they went through life’s struggles and were each other’s support system. Their relationship was tested on many occasions and from different angles. Vera Koo managed to turn all the pain she faced into something constructive. She mentions that she found God when she was at her lowest and it helped her to know that He was always watching over her. Vera Koo’s story is one of persistence, determination, hard work, forgiveness, hope, and resilience. She gave shooting her best, even when she was physically impaired. Through years of practice, she gained respect in the field. She talks about how it was hard to gain respect in a man’s world. She dealt with a lot of devastating losses. She never lost hope. She always found the strength to get up and move forward. She reinforces this lesson throughout the book. At the end of the book, there is a list of the championships she won and records she set. It is very inspiring to see what she accomplished.
I found a lot of things about this book appealing. Firstly, I loved Vera Koo’s story. All the life lessons I learned are also something that I appreciate. Being from a traditional African setting myself, I related to almost everything she said. The title of the book encapsulates her story very well and that is not something I come across very often. Justin Pahl did an amazing job of telling Vera Koo’s story. It is a story that needed to be told. Not only is it inspiring to women all over the world, but it is also inspiring to anyone who wants to make it in a field that is not traditionally tailored to them. I loved Vera Koo’s humility in all of her achievements. That is one lesson I am certainly not going to forget. Having exceeded expectations in a field where the men looked down on her, I was very surprised that she still managed to take lessons from men. The fact that she disregarded all the negative comments and let her work speak for itself is also something I found to be remarkable. Another thing I loved was the photos of Vera Koo in the book. I have to disagree with what her mother said. She has both inner and outer beauty.
Being a Christian, I was very pleased with how Vera Koo regarded her relationship with God. She went to Him for help. She turned to Him when everything else failed to bring her happiness and comfort. That is a quality I want to be able to instill in myself. Vera Koo’s story helps put a lot of things in perspective. She was very honest about her relationship with her husband. I thought this is something a lot of people would have preferred to keep to themselves but Vera Koo was brave enough to be completely honest. I also learned important lessons about family from this book. Her story also showed me that it is never too late to pursue your dream. Hard work and persistence will pay off. This motivated me to keep working hard at what I want to accomplish in life. It may take time but with God’s grace, everything will turn out great.
I found nothing to dislike about this book. Due to impressive editing, a great story, and admiration of Vera Koo’s story, I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I recommend it to everyone who needs motivation and wants to prepare for life’s hardships to come out strong. It is a good motivational book for people from all walks of life.
******
The Most Unlikely Champion
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
