Gold-medal Paralympian coming to Toccoa for book signing

Gold-medal Paralympian McKenzie Coan pens book.

Coan, who won a gold and silver medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, will attend a book signing for her memoir, Breaking Free, this weekend at Troup’s Studio and Gifts, located at 26 East Doyle Street, in Toccoa.

The book signing will be held on Saturday, September 25, from noon until 2 p.m.

Coan was born in Toccoa and grew up in nearby Clarkesville.

Her memoir, Breaking Free—Shattering Expectations and Thriving with Ambition in Pursuit of Gold, tells of her life with osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, as she navigates the world of competitive swimming.

The book was published in August.

Coan wrote her memoir during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time which found her living in Clarkesville and training for the Tokyo Games in a pop-up, mail order, soft-sided tank in her parents’ garage.

The book tackles many of today’s hot topics in sport and in life, including discrimination, goal setting, mental health, self-care, and body image, while following Coan from infancy in rural Georgia to the international stage as a professional athlete.

Copies of Coan’s book are available for purchase at Troup’s Studio and Gifts.

To reserve a copy, call 706-886-2369.

Again, on Saturday, Coan will be signing copies of her book at Troup’s Studio and Gifts in Toccoa, from noon until 2 p.m.