What you might not know about the American author
Star cyclist Lance Armstrong had an amazingly successful career, winning the Tour de France a whopping seven times in a row. Of course, then came the doping scandal...
Becky Hammon is a former basketball player whose career was unfortunately cut short by injury in 2012. But since then she has had a great career in coaching.
Former basketball GOAT Michael Jordan, whose famous dunks earned him the nickname "Air Jordan," had it all as a player.
Former LA Laker Magic Johnson went public with his HIV diagnosis in 1991. Since then he has been a vocal HIV activist and as part of that he founded the Magic Johnson Foundation.
Being a professional athlete is often heralded as the ultimate career. Doing what you love for money, while garnering fame and glory: what could be better?
That's all very well, but we often forget that athletes' careers are generally quite short. While other professionals may ripen with age and experience, athletes tend to hit their peak early and decline.
But while some athletes struggle for what to do after retirement, others are brimming with ideas for a second career, and in some cases their second career eclipses their first. Check out this gallery to see which athletes had successful second careers.
Jim Bunning had a baseball career that spanned three decades, and in 1996 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. After that, he had a second career in public service.
After the end of his football career, he forayed into real estate, but politics was where he found success. He served as a congressman from North Carolina’s 11th congressional district from 2007 to 2013.
Sources: (Insider) (CNBC)
In 1989, Kemp entered George H.W. Bush's cabinet and he served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Bush's entire presidency.
The seven-time Mr. Olympia winner forayed into film in 1970, but it wasn't until he starred in 'The Terminator' (1984) that he got his big break. The rest is history. Oh, and let's not forget he was the governor of California!
He first joined local government in his home state of Kentucky, and eventually he ended up in the House of Representatives. In 1999, he switched over to the US Senate and stayed until 2010.
By 2007, the company had "already bought and rehabilitated 1,200 units of distressed housing in the metropolitan area, including three projects in The Bronx and another in Brooklyn's East New York."
Immediately after retiring from basketball, Bill Bradley ran for senator, representing the state of New Jersey. He was re-elected twice and only left the Senate in 1997.
In addition to starting the foundation, Bol did a number of publicity stunts to raise money for his country, including suiting up as a horse jockey (probably the tallest one of all time).
Arnold Schwarzenegger is another athlete whose second career arguably eclipses his first. Before Schwarzenegger was a Hollywood hero he was, of course, a professional bodybuilder.
The former wrestler made his acting debut with 'The Mummy Returns' in 2001, and he never looked back (although he has returned to the wrestling mat from time to time).
Jack Kemp was a quarterback for various teams in the NFL before he retired in 1969. He then moved into politics and served in the House of Representatives from 1971 to 1989.
But it should be noted he is also a great philanthropist: in 1997 he founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which raises money for cancer research funding.
Former basketball great Kobe Bryant, who died in a tragic helicopter crash at the beginning of 2020, is widely recognized as one of the game's greatest players of all time.
Mary Carillo is a former tennis star who won the French Open for mixed doubles alongside John McEnroe in 1977. Since then, her career has been as a sports journalist.
The Rock's second career is perhaps the best known of all. In fact, he is so successful as an actor that you'd be forgiven for forgetting he started out as a wrestler.
Bill Bradley is a former basketball player who spent his whole career with the New York Knicks. He played for the team between 1967 and 1977, and even earned a gold medal.
Muhammad Ali was an iconic figure in boxing, even for those too young to ever have seen him in his heyday. He was a three-time World Heavyweight Champion and nicknamed "The Greatest."
Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1984, but that didn't stop him from his endeavours as a public figure. For example, he was guest referee at the first ever WrestleMania event in 1985.
Kobe's main post-game career was in philanthropic ventures. He founded both the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation and the Mamba Sports Academy.
As a journalist (as well as a tennis player), Carillo has an impressive resume: she regularly covers the Olympics, she has a Sports Emmy, and she was once Sports Illustrated's tennis' top analyst.
Former baseball player Mo Vaughn is co-managing director and co-founder of Omni New York, a housing company that renovates dilapidated buildings and keeps them affordable.
Heath Shuler's career in politics was probably more successful than his career in football.
After she retired from the game, the San Antonio Spurs approached her to become an assistant coach, and she became the first full-time, paid female assistant coach in NBA history.
Since retirement, Jordan has been involved in a number of business and philanthropic ventures. In 2010, he won a bidding war to become majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.
After retiring from the NBA, Manute Bol became an activist in his home country of Sudan. He founded the Ring True Foundation, which provides aid to persecuted Christians.
The aim of the foundation is "to support community-based organizations that serve health, educational, and social needs of children residing in ethnically diverse urban communities."
Athletes who had successful second careers
Sporting stars who caught an inspirational second wind
CELEBRITY Sports
Being a professional athlete is often heralded as the ultimate career. Doing what you love for money, while garnering fame and glory: what could be better?
That's all very well, but we often forget that athletes' careers are generally quite short. While other professionals may ripen with age and experience, athletes tend to hit their peak early and decline.
But while some athletes struggle for what to do after retirement, others are brimming with ideas for a second career, and in some cases their second career eclipses their first. Check out this gallery to see which athletes had successful second careers.