Meet Clara Hughes, written by Elizabeth MacLeod and illustrated by Mike Deas. Scholastic, 22023. $18.99 ages 9 and up

"Clara had been very busy. In 2017 she realized
she needed to take a break for her mental health.
A big break. Clara and now-husband Peter turned
back to nature. They went trekking through the 
wilderness for months at a time. 
All her life Clara had moved quickly, racing 
around on her bike or skates. For three years
she and Peter travelled slowly, enjoying the 
peace and beauty around them."

In another Scholastic Canada Biography, Elizabeth MacLeod shares with readers the story of a record- breaking double athlete whose long and storied career is also focused on issues of mental health and her path to healing. 

Clara was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and grew up crafting with her mom, cooking with her dad, and reading. She also loved hockey, ringette, and riding her bike. Conflicts at home led to her wanting to be out of there. Riding her bike to escape, then getting in with the wrong crowd led to more serious behaviors. Watching the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, she had great admiration for the speed skaters. It brought a change to the path her life would take. 

Clara joined a speed skating club. Filled with enthusiasm for the sport, she began to focus on training hard - until her coach moved on. Clara turned her attention to cycling, as it had been a part of her training routine for skating. She was very good at this new sport. Hard work paid off, and Clara accomplished great success. Those accomplishments are only part of her story. 

For two years Clara dealt privately with feelings of depression. When she did ask for help, her health improved immensely. Clara began to do those things that made her happy, rather than what others wanted her to do. It made all the difference. Today, she works with Right to Play,, an organization that helps kids learn through sports, and with Bell Canada's Let's Talk, encouraging those with mental health issues to speak up. She inspires others to talk about their own journeys toward wellness. Kids need to hear messages like this from those they admire. This book helps them with that.   

As he has done in other such commendable biographies, Mike Deas' artwork adds to the appeal of this worthy book. He shows Clara from a young age, then throughout  her life as she works hard, celebrates her many accomplishments, finds peace in nature and speaks about her experiences in sport and with depression. A timeline for Clara's life is appended.