Paralympics, Lead Summit, & September
Good morning.
This past weekend was a CG Sports client overload for me. In a good way. The Paralympics kicked off and we have already had amazing performances by Owen Cravens, Abbas Karimi, McKenzie Coan, and Colleen Young. In a very touching post-race interview, McKenzie showed the emotion, stress, and passion that these Paralympic athletes put into achieving their goals.
While the Paralympics were going on, I took a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina to attend the 8th annual Lead Summit founded by Kara Lynn Joyce. I arrived a couple of days early so I could work in some business meetings as well. I had the chance to sit down with David “DK” Kiley, one of our authors at CG Sports Publishing, and get to meet his lovely wife, Sandy. We chatted about his journey as an author, the history of wheelchair basketball, and his amazing career competing for Team USA across four different decades. DK’s office is one of the coolest rooms I’ve ever seen: the walls are filled with sports artifacts, memorabilia, and extremely rare pieces — all from DK’s career, many of which are one of one (just like DK ).
While many people like to golf to do business, I like to attend masters swim practices. On Friday at 5:15 am, I joined the MSA masters where I had a chance to catch up with one of our sponsors, Douglas Wolfe of New Town Dentistry. Doug is currently training for the Chattanooga Iron Man and, after swimming a 90 minute workout, we caught up after practice. He then had to leave to go on a 5 hour bike ride, holy smokes! It’s always great to see a partner in person and something I’m going to try to do more of as we look ahead to 2025.
The Lead Summit in Charlotte was absolutely incredible. For those of you who don’t know, Lead is a company that is dedicated to the empowerment of teenage girl athletes. It’s one of the most fulfilling and inspiring things that we are a part of and something that I am really proud of here at CG Sports. In attendance was Christen Shefchunas, Dr. Megan Cannon, Katie Grimes, as well as her parents Shari and Christian, and new Lead speaker Phoebe Bacon. I really enjoyed spending time with the Lead staff and making sure that we put on another world class experience for the future female leaders of our generation.
After finally getting home, I’ll be taking the next couple days to get caught up and then making sure we finish September really really strong. It’s crazy to think that Q4 2024 is just around the corner. I’m really excited for the last four months of this year!
— Cejih
Other News This Week:
Jack Dahlgren is back with a special edition of his monthly newsletter, complete with lots of shoutouts and “Thank You’s!”
Soul of a Swimmer by Carla Albano is $12 on Amazon for a limited time only — grab your copy today!
P.S. Nervous about missing upcoming news from CG Sports? Follow us on Instagram (@cgsportsco), Facebook (CG Sports Management), and, of course, our weekly newsletter.
McKenzie Coan
Seven. Paralympic. Medals. Congrats, McKenzie! She won her seventh Paralympic medal in the women’s 400 freestyle S7 just two days ago and is just heating up.
Upcoming events for McKenzie include: 100 freestyle S7 (9/4), 50 freestyle S8 (9/5), and 50 butterfly S7 (9/7).
Prior to the start of the Paralympics, McKenzie connected with WABE for a full feature interview highlighting Georgia Paralympians. Read/listen to the interview online now.
Congratulations and good luck, McKenzie!
Cierra Burdick
Cierra Burdick has been incredibly busy post-Olympics. Since coming home from Paris, she has (in no particular order):
Served as the Grand Marshal for the parade at the start of the Matthews Alive Festival;
Visited her alma mater to field questions, visit the team, and watch practice; and
Threw out the first pitch prior to the Charlotte Knights vs. Nashville Sounds game.
Owen Cravens
In his first Paralympic Games, Owen Cravens and his guide Ben Hoffman raced to a fourth-place finish in the men’s PTVI Para Triathlon. Owen posted a final time of 1:00:43.
View the full breakdown of splits and transition times online.
Congrats, Owen (and Ben)!
Abbas Karimi
The mixed relay team of Leanne Smith, Abbas Karimi, Zach Shattuck, and Ellie Marks powered to a silver medal in the mixed 4x50 freestyle relay on August 30th.
More events are coming up for Abbas: the men’s 50 freestyle S5 (9/5) and 50 butterfly S5 (9/6).
Congratulations and good luck, Abbas!
Colleen Young
Colleen Young swam a swift final in the women’s 200 Individual Medley SM13 yesterday, finishing seventh overall with a time of 2:34.95.
On the horizon: Colleen has the women’s 100 breast SB13 (9/5).
Congrats and good luck, Colleen!
Publishing Routes
Many authors who contact us at CG Sports Publishing are new to publishing. They have questions about publishing in general, as well as how CG Sports does things differently. We love explaining how CG Sports Publishing was born to break the mold, and how we offer each author an exceptional and individualized publishing experience. Is that approach the right fit for your publishing journey? Let's break down the three leading publishing models, so you can decide for yourself:
Traditional publishing is what most people are used to thinking of when they hear the words "book deal." With traditional publishing:
The publisher buys your story and then owns the rights to it.
The author enjoys the up-front purchase but usually does not get royalties on sales until the advance is paid out.
It’s hard to get a deal, especially as a first-time author or without a built-in following.
The timeline is often several years from when you sell your manuscript.
Publicity campaigns are often reserved for the highest-profile authors.
Self-publishing is the antithesis of the often-stuffy world of traditional publishers. Its rise is largely thanks to the ease of creating and publishing on Amazon. With self-publishing:
The author is in charge of everything from writing to editing to cover art to distribution to marketing, requiring all-around expertise and energy to do it well.
The author can spend a little or a lot of money, depending on whether editors, designers, proofreaders, and marketers are hired to make the project more professional.
The timeline is of the author’s choosing.
Booksellers often have limitations on stocking self-published titles.
Publicity is solely the author's responsibility.
In the middle is what some call "hybrid publishing." Here's how we do it at CG Sports Publishing:
Author's retain rights to their work and have the final say on edits and changes.
Up-front fees cover expert editing, production, and distribution, as well as marketing.
The timeline is about six months from when the editing starts.
Post-launch management and marketing is a team effort between the author and the company.
Royalties are paid from the first sale and for life.
To learn more, drop us an email to set up a quick call
Do you or someone you know have a great story to tell? Is writing and publishing a book a lifelong dream of yours (or your friend’s), but you’re just not sure where to start?
We would love to connect and talk about the publishing process.
CEO Cejih Yung and publishing client Dave Kiley recently connected to celebrate the early proofread of Wheel Head and the hard work that our team has spent working on this amazing project!
Sponsor Spotlight: SAY Swim Team
Since its inception, the Summit Area YMCA (SAY) Swim Team has fostered a team culture centered on maintaining and improving the swim team for the benefit of all involved. The SAY Swim Team has aligned their objectives with those of all other YMCA teams: to promote youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.
At CG Sports, we love to support clubs and LSCs in as many ways as we can, including connecting them with our athletes for swim clinics. Later this month, Paige Madden will be joining the SAY Swim Team to provide motivational speeches and a pool technique session for swimmers.
Interested in bringing one of our athletes to your club? Learn about the different services we offer for swim clinics and reach out to us with questions and inquiries!
Champions Mojo Episode #254: “Five Tips for Healthy Competition with Loved Ones”
Do you compete against your spouse, best friend, roommate, sibling? Ever wondered how to keep the competitive spirit alive without straining your closest relationships? Tune in to this week’s episode of Champions Mojo, where I, Kelly Palace, share five tips that will revolutionize how you compete against or alongside your loved ones. Drawing from my own experiences with my competitions with my husband Mark, who is also a competitive swimmer, I discuss how gratitude, focusing on personal milestones, and celebrating mutual victories can transform competition into a bond-strengthening activity.
Get inspired as I recount a thrilling race in the 400 IM where Mark and I finished within a hair’s breadth of each other. Plus, hear about the motivating stories of the Olympic swimming siblings sets, the Shackells and the Walshes, who embody the perfect blend of healthy rivalry and supportive encouragement. Whether you're into sports, board games, or any competitive endeavor, these insights will help foster a nurturing and positive competitive environment. Don’t miss out on these game-changing tips!
Be grateful you have a shared activity that you are both passionate about
Focus on your own goals and personal bests
Allow the other person to teach you something new
Celebrate their successes, when they win, and give them space when you win
Enjoy the positive impact that competing with someone you love has on your performance. It raises you to a higher level!
Catch up on EVERY episode at ChampionsMojo.com.
Craving more from the Champion's Mojo team? Grab your copy of Kelly Palace's Take Your Mark, LEAD! and Maria Parker's Do Tough on Amazon!
