The CBC Olympics broadcast crew recommend 4 inspiring reads

The 2022 Beijing Olympic Games are on now! The Olympics are happening Feb. 4-20, 2022.

Team Canada is fielding 215 athletes — third-most for a Winter Olympics and the most athletes who identify as female, with 106.

 You can see a complete schedule of events here.

CBC is bringing you all the action. Andi Petrillo is hosting Winter Olympic Games Morning, Scott Russell is hosting Winter Olympic Games Primetime and Perdita Felicien and Andrew Chang are hosting Beijing Today.

CBC Books asked each of the hosts to recommend an inspiring read. See what they picked below!

Andi Petrillo recommends My Mother's Daughter by Perdita Felicien

"I can't get enough of Perdita Felicien's memoir My Mother's Daughter. Perdita is someone who came into my life as an athlete — someone I came to know through my television set. She then came into my life proper as a co-worker at CBC Sports and she became a friend. Perdita is resilient and does everything to perfection.

What a beautiful and inspiring tale of a mother and her daughter, of knowing one's history, and an athlete's biggest fan.

"An athlete's triumphs and tribulations are on display for all to see and in her book she takes us even deeper into her life; how the struggles of her mother planted the seeds of strength inside Perdita. What a beautiful and inspiring tale of a mother and her daughter, of knowing one's history, and an athlete's biggest fan."

• Read an excerpt of Perdita Felicien's memoir My Mother's Daughter

Andrew Chang recommends The Way Back Home by Oliver Jeffers

"As a dad whose world is his kids, I love everything about this book as a jumping-off point to teach my girls about adversity, scary situations, determination, resourcefulness and how even bad luck can reveal great opportunities.

I love everything about this book as a jumping-off point to teach my girls about adversity, scary situations, determination, resourcefulness and how even bad luck can reveal great opportunities.

"How else are you going to blast off to the moon, get stuck, and find your way back home again? In shared challenges, you may even make a friend along the way."

• Oliver Jeffers is passing on notes for living on planet Earth to his son

Perdita Felicien recommends A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah

"This true story took me to a place and through horrors I didn't know existed. It is about the author being a child soldier during the civil war in Sierra Leone. I could not put this book down despite it being raw at times.

The beauty within these pages is that we see the author turn tragedy into triumph.

"The beauty within these pages is that we see the author turn tragedy into triumph and that is a lesson we all need right now."

Scott Russell recommends Twin Tracks by Roger Bannister

"Bannister was living proof of fortitude, ambition and ultimately what people are capable of. He was an athlete and academic who understood the value of sport as it relates to the human condition. 

Bannister was living proof of fortitude, ambition and ultimately what people are capable of.

"My favourite quote from his memoir is this: 'It is not just the desire to succeed: there is also the desire to find in sport a companionship with kindred people.'" 

• The Four-Minute Mile: Remembering Roger Bannister

Andi Petrillo, Andrew Chang, Perdita Felicien and Scott Russell's comments have been edited for length and clarity.