Celebrated Author

Devastated at age twelve by her father’s death, she made his dying words–“make me proud”–her life’s motto. A standout cadet at the Air Force Academy, rejected from pilot training for being too short, she refused to give up. Instead, she became America’s first woman to fly a fighter jet in combat and the first to command a fighter squadron. A decorated aviator, she took on the Pentagon on behalf of women–and won. A rape and sexual assault survivor, she fought for the victims in and out of uniform. And though she was a shy pudgy child, she became a top triathlete and mountain climber.

With candor, attitude, and fresh insights, McSally shares the lessons she learned throughout her journey–some the hard way. She believes that none of us it born either courageous or afraid. Instead, each of us can succeed when we are expected to fail, learn to embrace fear in order to overcome our limits, and find the inner resilience to thrive through even crippling darkness. Dare to Fly will inspire you to turn your challenges into opportunities, to break barriers, to endure turbulence, and to find your personal pathway to fulfillment, purpose, and joy.