Brace for Impact

In Brace for Impact, Gabe Montesanti's rich and powerful descriptions of the world of roller derby and the incredible community she found there offer meaningful insight into what it's like to be an LGBTQ+ person in the Midwest and reveal how empowering and liberating sports can be, especially when it comes to our relationship with our bodies. Brace for Impact bursts with honest, vulnerable, life-saving storytelling. Simply put, this book helped me grow and finally understand that I belong to myself. I loved it! -Tara Schuster, bestselling author of Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies Brace for Impact is a universal story of healing and triumph, made all the more beautiful, wild, and free by Gabe Montesanti's fierce love for roller derby and her team, who become her family. Our world urgently needs brave, bold voices like Gabe's, the voices of those who are figuring out how to feel, find acceptance, and become who they were to meant to be. -Abby Wambach, Olympian, activist, and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wolfpack Gabe Montesanti is a shining example of what it looks like to chase a dream. Between her willingness to confront her past, her unflinching excavation of her relationship with her body, and her persistent quest for peace, Montesanti's story of resilience and courage was deeply inspiring to me. -Alexi Pappas, author of Bravey Brace for Impact helped me know myself better. The way Gabe Montesanti writes about her instinct to be gentle toward others yet strict, regimented, and disciplined toward herself is beautiful, bold, and utterly relatable to me as a queer person, as a person who has struggled to love, accept, and value my body, and as a onetime serious athlete from the Midwest. Most of all, Gabe's story made me want to join roller derby, know the people she skates with, and push myself to try new things. Reading this book is the next best thing to being out on the track. -Cameron Esposito, bestselling author of Save Yourself A stunning memoir . . . Set in the fascinating world of roller derby, Brace for Impact is a riveting story of redemption, adventure, and the pursuit of joy. With each blow Montesanti takes, both on and off the rink, her traumatic past threatens her ability to build a meaningful future-but no matter how hard the fall, Montesanti finds a way to rise again and again. I finished Brace for Impact believing true change is possible, within ourselves, our families, and the world around us. -Christina McDowell, author of After Perfect and The Cave Dwellers