The Reason BLOOD and GOLD Is a Unicorn

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Every once in a while, something is born that is so rare, so unexpected, and so necessary it can only be described as a Unicorn. And that is exactly what BLOOD and GOLD: Athletes, Tragedies, and Dynamism to Peace is.

From the very beginning, this book took on a life of its own. It refused to fit a mold. Its content was unlike anything circulating through North American publishing—not because it sought to provoke, but because it dared to tell a story that had been fragmented, softened, or silenced for more than half a century.

I was not simply writing about the 1972 Munich Olympics. I was revealing truths buried beneath layers of political manipulation, media distortion, and historical omission. It quickly became clear that this was not a story that could be told from the outside in. It had to be written from lived emotion, relentless research, and a moral imperative to give voice to those who were never allowed to speak.

When I first outlined the book, I believed it would be ten chapters. But as the research deepened, as facts revealed themselves, and as the long-silenced voices of athletes, Palestinians, and unheard survivors began to rise to the surface, BLOOD and GOLD expanded—organically and inevitably—into twenty-one chapters.

Each discovery added depth, dimension, and urgency. At a certain point, I understood something clearly: I was no longer writing a book. I was protecting a legacy of truth.

As a first-time author, I had no idea what I was stepping into. The emotional highs and crushing lows, the roadblocks, the revelations, the grief and the joy—it was a journey that reshaped me entirely. Time and again, I found myself asking a single question:

Has a book like this ever been published in North America?

A book that tells the full story of the 1972 Olympics, including the injustices faced by American athletes.

A book that presents the Palestinian experience with empathy, humanity, and historical integrity.

A book that exposes corruption, racism, and geopolitical failure without stripping humanity from anyone involved.

A book that dares to ask the world to stop killing in the name of peace.

A book that extends beyond words, contributing to real-world impact through support of Doctors Without Borders and the Dynamism to Peace International Foundation.

The answer, I believe, is no.

And that is why BLOOD and GOLD is a Unicorn.

It defies expectation.

It challenges inherited narratives.

It was written without compromise.

It breathes truth and seeks justice.

It arrived by timing, not design.

It is one of a kind.

And I am deeply honored to have been chosen to bring it into the world.

With love and light,

Christie Sikora ✨🪄

christiesikora.com 🩸🏅🕊️

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