Editor’s Picks

Two years ago, Jimmy Hayes passed away. His brother, Kevin, wrote this for him: “You were the best. You were everybody’s hero. We will never stop telling your story.”

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has a few things to say: “I want this game I love to be a safe and welcoming place for everyone.”

After being reinstated, Calvin Ridley shares his truth: “All I want is for people to understand that, when I made those bets, there was a hell of a lot more going on with me.”

Tennis player Jessica Pegula opens up about her mom’s cardiac arrest: “This is a story about my mother, my family, and the past year.”

Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir is fighting back: “This is about my rights as a worker, as a woman and as a human being.”

This is Iga Świątek: “My story isn’t like a lot of other athletes.”

This is the story of Ettore “Big E” Ewen: “I’m someone who didn’t have wildest dreams. I’m someone who, for the longest time, didn’t believe I deserved them.”

Cody Gakpo reflects on his road to Liverpool: “That’s the ‘story’ of our season in a nutshell. We built this brick by brick. And now, we’re in a good place to really challenge for the title.”

This is Bobby Witt Jr.’s journey, in his own words: “Imagine being 14 years old and the expectation is to make the big leagues. Not the dream, the expectation….. I wanted so badly to be great. So I wanted to do whatever it took.”

Last September, Manchester United and England midfielder Ella Toone lost her dad. She wrote this for him: “This is my first try at really talking about it.... But I wanted to write this, for anyone grieving and feeling alone.”

UFC champion Alex Pereira on how fear propels him to greatness: “I am very afraid of being knocked out. I have no problem telling you that. Laugh if you want to. That‘s just real. But the key is … that fear? I know how to control it.”

Michael Carter-Williams shares his story: “I didn’t recognize the man in front of me. I lost everything.”

This is Ronald Acuña Jr.: “It’s the story of my life and how I came to be an Atlanta Brave — the hometown that I love, my path to the majors, the ups and downs, the dark times that I have faced. The things reporters never ask me about.”

Tarik Cohen pens a letter to his younger self: “It’s almost like, for you, nothing can just be easy and work out and make everyone happy.”

I’ve always been more attracted to the ugly things. It’s hard to explain, but I think that’s just how I’ve always been. My favorite plants are dandelions — the

Molly Bartrip opens up about her battle with anorexia nervosa, depression and anxiety: “I wasn’t just ruining my mind, I was ruining my body.” 

This is Jade Cargill in her own words.

John Wall shares his story: “I was this close to taking my own life. That’s a hard thing to tell the world. But if you can say one thing about me, it’s that I’ve always been real, and that’s not going to change today.”

JaMarcus Russell shares his truth: “It’s my turn to speak on it. If you wanna judge me, then judge me. But at least know where I come from first.” 

Five years later, Bianca Andreescu is beginning again. This is her story: “Whenever I leave the tunnel and step out onto the court, I always feel a bit of that magic from before. I still think that anything is possible.”

Endrick pens a letter to his little brother, Noah: “By the time you were a baby, we were living a very different life, and that life is only going to keep changing in the years to come.”

Alise Willoughby ahead of the 2024 Olympics: “At the end of the day, I’m still me. Alise. The person. And, no matter what I do…. The sun will still come up.”

Nick Chubb is back after his injury: “When you get hurt like I got hurt, the weird thing is that you don’t even really feel anything. But you hear everything.”