USC alum and professional track and field athlete Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry is no stranger to the spotlight or a daunting challenge. Her resume speaks for itself: She has won multiple NCAA and Pac-12 Track and Field championships, three gold medals in the 4x100-meter relay at the World Championships and an Olympic gold medal in the same event.
While Terry has made an enormous impact on the track, she also aims to make a broader impact beyond the sport. That’s where the idea for her first book, TeeTee’s World Adventure, was born.
“I wanted them to be able to picture themselves in certain scenes in the book and just connect with them on that level,” Terry said. “I hope this book shows kids that they can do anything they put their mind to.”
The book tells the beginning of Terry’s track and field journey through creative writing and rhymes. It opens by introducing Terry as a child running and racing with her friends. As the story unfolds, Terry begins to run faster, leaving her friends struggling to keep up. Instead of leaving them behind, she returns to run with them and encourages them toward the finish line.
They cross the finish line together as a team. Terry continues to train alongside her friends, guided by their friendship, which eventually takes her all the way to the USATF National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships. The ending emphasizes that while Terry found early success, none of it would have been possible without the support of her friends, family and teammates.
“You don’t have to do everything by yourself,” Terry said. “It’s okay to lean on those around you for support and motivation.”
And just as the book underscores the importance of teamwork, Terry didn’t write it alone. Author Dennis Vanasse, who wrote Stand Tall Against Bullying, ADHD: Can’t Sit Still and Autism Changes: Jose’s Journey to Acceptance, co-wrote the story, helping bring her vision to life. One of the biggest challenges the pair faced was deciding on the illustrations. Because it’s a children’s book, the visuals needed to be eye-catching and engaging, especially the cover.
“I wanted to capture something that showed the other cultures that support me, and things you can see across the world,” Terry said. “And just give kids an insight into things connected to other countries.”
The cover features Terry running across the globe alongside friends from various countries and cultures. Scattered across the world are iconic monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, and the Colosseum, just to name a few.
Terry’s fans, or as she affectionately calls them, her “Tee Babies,” span all ages. She ultimately chose to write a children’s book instead of a traditional biography to speak directly to the next generation. She believes children’s books reach a wider audience and can make a deeper impact.She also took on a challenge that not many athletes pursue in writing a book directed towards kids.
She wrote the book not just to inspire young readers, but to reconnect with her younger self. Terry began running at nine years old, and she hopes her story encourages kids to look forward to growing up and to see themselves reflected in the pages.
“Seeing themselves, seeing someone that’s running, running worldwide and just showing that they can do anything they put their mind to,” Terry said.
Beyond emphasizing friendship and support, the book also highlights that athletes are more than their sport. By choosing a children’s book, Terry wanted to show kids that it’s important to engage in activities outside athletics, like reading.
Terry believes reading is essential for young children and young athletes alike which helped inspire her to write the book. She says it’s important for athletes to connect with people outside their sport. For Terry, that comes through interests like reading, crochet, plants and now writing, all of which have helped her build new relationships — something she hopes young readers take away from the story.
“The big thing is just being able to relate to others,” Terry said. “Show them I’m human. I’m just like you. I do some of the things that you do, make the mistakes you make.”
The biggest takeaway from the book is the importance of friendship and togetherness. Terry knows this better than most track athletes, as all of her gold medals have come from relay races, meaning her greatest achievements have been as part of a team in a sport often seen as individual.
She explained that relay success comes down to trust and teamwork. That includes not only racing together but also training and spending meaningful time with one another, a theme reflected throughout the book.
Especially in track and field, where so much of the training is individual, Terry emphasizes that athletes still need others for motivation. It’s okay to lean on your teammates and it’s equally important to help others as you pursue your own goals.
“In order to get to the highest of the high in your sport, you need training partners,” Terry said. “On the days where you want to quit at practice, having a teammate tell you, ‘I got you, I’m gonna bring you through,’ means everything.”
The book also celebrates the joy of being on a team and participating in a sport. Terry hopes kids remember that and whatever hobby or sport they choose should be fun.
“The moment you stop having fun, you’re going to hate it,” Terry said. “You’re drained doing it, you’re forcing yourself to try to complete it.”
To Terry, this book is much more than a project. It’s a way to connect with her fans and leave a lasting impact. It gives her “Tee Babies” something tangible for inspiration, more than just watching her compete on the track.
And Terry’s legacy as an author is only beginning. With a sequel already in the works and potential books for different age groups, she’s just getting started in finding new ways to inspire people.