The Tigerbelles: Olympic Legends from Tennessee State

One hot Southern summer in 1960 at Tennessee State University, a regional college for black students, a coach and his team of women runners, called the Tigerbelles, sprinted on a dirt track, dodging potholes and cow piles, preparing for a shot to run on the world stage at the Olympics in Rome. Eight women on the team made it to the final competition, and four of them came back home with gold medals. This is the extraordinary story of how one team changed the face of women's athletics forever, and how the world fell in love with the Tigerbelles.

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*A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Edward Temple Scholarship at New Hope Academy in Franklin, TN*

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Press for The Tigerbelles

The Boston Globe, Feature
The Manchester Cricket, Feature
The Gloucester Times and The Salem News, Feature
The Philadelphia Sunday Sun, Review
WGTD Morning Show, Interview
What Are Your Reading?, Interview
The Nashville Scene, Feature
The Power Hour, Interview
Booklist, Starred Review
NPR Nashville, Podcast
The Writer’s Bone, Interview

The Hollis Chapman Show, Interview
The Mark Thompson Show, Interview
Conversations Live, Interview
The Shelley Irwin Show, Interview
Chapter 16, Review
Movie Reviews & More, Interview
Track & Field News, Review
Keep the Flame Alive, Interview
The Women’s Eye, Interview
Town & Country, Round-up

As the granddaughter of the legendary Vanderbilt track coach Ernest “Herc” Alley, the author has a personal connection to this story, with access to the subjects she features. Alley Card does a masterful job capturing the lasting impact of this sisterhood of Tigerbelles, who broke gender barriers during a time of Jim Crow racism and discrimination. List Item

American Library Association’s Booklist Starred Review
"Aime Card’s new book about The Tigerbelles is outstanding. Ms. Card’s account of such Tigerbelles as Wilma Rudolph and the Tigerbelles head coach, Ed Temple, reminds of how the late Tennessee State University president Walter S. Davis wanted things, A-plus, Deluxe Fashion."

Dwight Lewis, author of Mr. Temple's Tigerbelles, longtime journalist for The Tennessean, historian, and Tennessee State University alumni.
"The Tigerbelles is not only for sports lovers, but for anyone who values triumph over adversity, untold historical stories, women supporting women, and the collective power of a team breaking the mold. Their story is heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure."

Laura Munson, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, and founder of the acclaimed Haven Writing Retreats
"Three cheers for the triumphant Tigerbelles—the fastest women in the world! Aime Card shines a light on the team's struggles against fierce racial- and gender-based discrimination. The Tigerbelles is a must read about determined women who blazed a trail all the way to the Olympic podium."

Jean Duffy, author of Soccer Grannies: The South African Women Who Inspire the World
“Through vivid storytelling, Aime Alley Card underscores the dogged determination it took for young, black, women track and field athletes to train in the 1950s Jim Crow South and triumph in Olympic competitions. Led by the indomitable Wilma Rudolph, Tennessee State’s Tigerbelles pushed past societal obstacles to inspire successive generations of girls and women to excel in sports, even as they also confront tough challenges.”

Melissa Ludtke, former Sports Illustrated reporter who fought a court battle for equal rights, Ludtke v. Kuhn, in the 1970s.
"The story of the Tigerbelles is one of the most inspiring tales in the history of athletics. Coach Ed Temple and an incredibly talented group of Olympians overcame barriers of race, class, and gender to become the most dominant track program in the world. Drawing on deep research and more than sixty years of interviews, Aime Card deftly brings this compelling story to life in The Tigerbelles. This is American history that must not be forgotten. Thanks to this fascinating, timely, and highly readable book, the story of remarkable women succeeding against the tallest odds will be enjoyed for generations to come.”

Andrew Maraniss, New York Times bestselling author of Inaugural Ballers: The True Story of the First U.S. Women’s Olympic Basketball Team
“The Tigerbelles were historic trailblazers three times over— breaking racial barriers, gender barriers, and setting records for their sport that still awe 50 years later. Aime Alley Card not only vividly captures this riveting and remarkable story itself, but also the sheer improbability of it all: gold medals over Jim Crow.”

Ted Reinstein, author of Before Brooklyn: The Unsung Heroes Who Helped Break Baseball’s Color Barrier
"There are so many reasons to love The Tigerbelles! This is a book for everyone––whether you love sports stories, feminist stories, racial justice stories, adventure stories, stories about overcoming adversity, or stories about friendship and family. The Tigerbelles are truly an inspiration for all, and Aime Alley Card has written a gripping and engaging work of narrative nonfiction that allows the great women of the Tigerbelles team to speak for themselves. Full of quotes from the incredible women athletes and drawing on a plethora of original source material, Card shares the legendary track team's story in a heartwarming and powerful book that will inspire everyone who reads it. The Tigerbelles were a triumph, and this wonderful book is, too."

E.B. Bartels, author of Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter
“This inspiring book chronicles the compelling journey of an underdog track team from Nashville, TN, as they raced over potholes on dusty dirt roads toward an eventual Olympic Gold victory. Aime Card shines a bright light on these extraordinary women, and I’m excited this story is being told.”

Kimberly Williams-Paisley, actor and New York Times Bestselling author of Where the Light Gets In

UPCOMING EVENTS:

10/10: Cape Code Book Club | Cape Cod, MA
11/9: Sawyer Free Library | Gloucester, MA
11/20: Franklin Rotary | Franklin, TN
11/21:West High School Alumni | Nashville, TN

PAST EVENTS:

The Tigerbelles: Olympic Legends from Tennessee State

Press for The Tigerbelles

"Aime Card’s new book about The Tigerbelles is outstanding. Ms. Card’s account of such Tigerbelles as Wilma Rudolph and the Tigerbelles head coach, Ed Temple, reminds of how the late Tennessee State University president Walter S. Davis wanted things, A-plus, Deluxe Fashion."

"The Tigerbelles is not only for sports lovers, but for anyone who values triumph over adversity, untold historical stories, women supporting women, and the collective power of a team breaking the mold. Their story is heartbreaking and heartwarming in equal measure."

"Three cheers for the triumphant Tigerbelles—the fastest women in the world! Aime Card shines a light on the team's struggles against fierce racial- and gender-based discrimination. The Tigerbelles is a must read about determined women who blazed a trail all the way to the Olympic podium."

UPCOMING EVENTS:

PAST EVENTS: