As a teenager, Becca Mann competed a national and world championships both in the pool and open water and wrote The Eyes Trilogy, a 3-part fantasy series including The Stolen Dragon of Quanx.
She was a busy young woman as she lived an unorthodox life.
This month, her new memoir Outside the Lanes, A Pro Swimmer’s Story of Resilience, Reinvention, and Redefining Success is available for pre-order (here) or here. The 256-page hardcover book will be released on April 1st by Blue Star Press and Penguin Random House.
She explains, “I wasn’t afraid of the ocean. I wasn’t afraid of the unseen depths beneath the water, or what lurked below. I was afraid of being trapped in my own mind.
Outside the Lanes is the story of trading everything – family, a traditional childhood, mental health – for a dream, only to fall short of reaching it. It’s a story of obsession. Pain. Love. Heartbreak. Grit. What ifs. This book shows a part of myself I don’t often reveal and I hope it will inspire you to chase the impossible, even when the path doesn’t turn out the way you expect.“
Her open water swimming national teammate Ashley Twichell said of her book, “[Outside the Lanes] is a deeply vulnerable journey into the heart and mind of an elite athlete. This is the most honest account I’ve read about the price of chasing greatness—sacrificing everything for a dream, only to come achingly close. It’s raw, inspiring, and unforgettable.”
Another open water swimming national teammate Eva Fabian said, “Becca dives deep into her incredible career as a professional and elite international athlete, daring to be vulnerable about what it takes to be the best in the world, giving us a rare glimpse at the raw experience of elite athletics. A powerful and important read that is at times inspiring, heartbreaking, gripping, and hilarious. Written with heart and with Becca’s signature sense of humor and insight, Outside the Lanes is a daring exploration of what it means to pursue what you love and risk it all.”
Her pool swimming national teammate and a 10-time Olympic medalist Allison Schmitt said, “Outside the Lanes captures the heart of a young athlete’s relentless pursuit of greatness, revealing the sacrifices, heartbreak, and self-discovery along the way. Beautifully honest, it reminds us that success isn’t just about the destination but about the resilience, humanity, and wisdom gained on the journey.”
In order to pre-order, fill out the attached form and an early excerpt will be sent.
Becca graduated with a BFA in Writing for Screen and Television at the University of Southern California. She previously worked as the Writers’ Assistant on Amazon’s The Bondsman, Script Coordinator on Apple TV’s The Morning Show, Showrunner’s Assistant on Amazon’s The Wilds, and Writers’ PA on Freeform’s Cruel Summer. Her screenplay Exiled was a 2-time finalist in the 2020 Austin Film Festival and the winner of the 2021 ISA Fast Track Historical Genre and her pilot Soar was a semifinalist in the Humanitas Carol Mendelson category.
Besides her literary career, Mann was a member of the USA Swimming National Team from 2012 until 2021. She was the eighth fastest swimmer in the world in the 800m freestyle three years in a row, was the youngest person to place in the Top 10 in four events at a single Olympic Trials, a 2-time USA Swimming national champion, represented Team USA at 4 World Championships and remains the only person in history to complete the Maui Nui Swim.
For more information, visit www.becca-mann.com.
To learn more about the memoir, visit here.
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