I think the writing was compelling. It moved the reader into getting into the mindset of the creeping control and expectation others have of the athlete and blurred the lines of how much the person really had a say in what they wanted to do versus everyone else around them. Especially when you become something like Olympian material, the harder it becomes to choose a different path. Your destiny is decided, while others are given the freedom and flexibility of changing their minds with no backlash.