New Book Celebrates Overachiever Mentality of Fastest Growing Adult Athlete Group - Triathletes

Based on World Contender U.S. Army Triathlon Team Regimen

Upper Nyack, NY--October 16, 2007--Triathletes are the fastest growing competitive adult athlete group in the world. Now, a new book aims to help beginner and seasoned triathletes tackle one of the most challenging portions of a triathlon - the swim. Overachiever's Diary: How the Army Triathlon Team Became World Contenders, celebrates the competitive drive of all triathletes by chronicling the rigorous swim training methods of some of the greatest overachievers in the world - the West Point cadets of the Army triathlon team. Based on the team's training regimen, Overachiever's Diary also provides critical information, more than 100 photos, and insights that will help any swimmer improve performance and increase confidence in the water.

"It's not about mindless sets, or swim 'toys' like kickboards," author and Army triathlon swim coach Louis Tharp said. "Overachiever's Diary is about testing psychological and physical limits in the practice environment so can improve your performance and achieve victory in competition."

Overachiever's Diary brings to life the story of the internationally recognized Army Triathlon team through the informative, inspiring and often humorous emails of coach Louis Tharp, a competitive swimmer, World Masters and Gay Games medalist. Under the direction of Coach Tharp and other coaches - and thanks to the determination of the cadets - the Army triathlon team, in 2007, took home an individual gold in Age Group Nationals, placed fifth overall in Collegiate Nationals, and earned an individual bronze medal in the International Triathlon Union World Competition in Hamburg, Germany.

The book also includes a math section designed to help swimmers measure speed and efficiency, as well as several essays that examine the importance of factors such as confidence, attitude and motivation, by contributor and motivational speaker Laurie Ferguson, Ph.D.

Overachiever's Diary is published by Total Immersion, the world's largest swim instruction organization and publisher of swimming books. Total Immersion founder and Coach Tharp's mentor, Terry Laughlin, provided the introduction to the book.

"When Lou began working with the Army triathlon team, he copied me on daily coaching emails he sent to the team. I had never seen anything like them before," Terry Laughlin said. "Taken as a whole, they really provide a seminar on how to train effectively when swimming. As a result, I believe this book will be uniquely enlightening to improvement-minded swimmers, especially those who are self-coached."

Lou Tharp's personal story is as interesting as the book itself. A successful businessman and social entrepreneur, at age 45 Lou began transforming himself from an overweight, beginner swimmer to a World Master's bronze medalist and eventually, swim coach of the U.S. Army triathlon team at West Point. Lou also took home two gold and two silver medals at the 2006 Gay Games, and has established a successful, productive partnership with the Army triathlete team as the first out gay coach at West Point. Overachiever's Diary is now available for purchase at www.totalimmersion.net/overachievers-details.html, www.overachieversdiary.com and www.amazon.com. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the U.S. Army triathlon team.

Overachiever's Diary, by Louis Tharp with Laurie J. Ferguson, PhD, published by Total Immersion, New Paltz, NY, $14.95, 216 pages with photos, softcover, ISBN 978-1-931009-12-6