Kareem Rosser has lived a lot in his young life. Born into poverty in a violent West Philadelphia neighborhood, the Work to Ride program, where he learned to play polo, gave him a chance at a far different life than most of his schoolmates.
On a bike ride in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park, Kareem’s older brothers happened upon Chamounix Stables, home of Work to Ride. The program, founded in 1994 by Lezlie Hiner, engages disadvantaged urban youth in constructive activities centered on horsemanship. Kids work hard in the barn, keep their grades up, and in turn are given the opportunity to play polo, show hunters, race ponies and much more.
Kareem won scholarships to Valley Forge Military Academy and Colorado State University, where he earned a BA in economics, captained the polo team to the National Intercollegiate Championship and was named the Intercollegiate Player of the Year. He was a member of the first-ever African American polo team to win the National Interscholastic Championship and was named the Polo Training Foundation’s Polo Player of the Year. Since 2019, he has appeared as a fashion model in Ralph Lauren campaigns.
He now volunteers as executive director of Friends of Work to Ride, heading a capital campaign to raise $8-$10 million to build an indoor riding facility and establish an endowment. By day a financial analyst for Reath & Company, an asset management firm in Philadelphia, he also, at age 27, has a book deal. “Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Life Forever” will be released by St. Martin’s Press in February.
Publicity for the upcoming book reads, “This is a story of an extraordinary person overcoming impossible odds. Crossing the Line is a look into an immensely exciting, but typically privileged sport, from an outsider who fought to forge a place for himself in its highest ranks. It’s a story of family, loyalty, the bond between brothers, and the transformative connection between man and horse.”
Wes Moore, a Rhoades Scholar, former White House Fellow and author wrote, “Crossing the Line is truly a special book. It will not just leave you with hope, but also ideas on how to make that hope transferable. Kareem's remarkable story is one that should be read and understood by all.”
Nacho Figueras Suggested
The idea of writing a book started with his close friend, Nacho Figueras, an Argentine top professional polo player, Ralph Lauren model and author of three polo-themed novels. “He wanted us to co-author a series of books about polo and horses. Through several conversations we realized it wasn’t going to work and I thought well, why not just write a memoir, because I’ve always wanted to be able to tell Work to Ride’s story and my story.”
Work to Ride has been featured often in the media, from HBO’s Real Sports to the Today Show to Elle magazine. But Kareen feels there’s so much more to tell. “I was inspired by Nacho to go ahead and do it. After having several good conversations about it and meeting Nacho’s literary agent, we made it happen.
“We put together a proposal and went out and shopped it. Three of the big time publishing houses were interested in the story. I had a collaborator and we did it together” over the past year. “It was cool because I never in my life thought I was going to write a book, especially by the age of 27,” he laughed.
“I didn’t know anything about writing a book. The only thing I’ve written are school papers. It was a unique process going through that and the hardest part was just trying to remember all the stories and the things that happened over 15 to 20 years. It was fun.”
In March, Kareem’s brother David, one of five of his six siblings who were Work to Ride students, was murdered, gunned down in the streets of West Philadelphia. “So we’ve been spending the last couple months kind of getting over that,” he said. “There’s still an open investigation. What I know at this point is the perpetrator is still on the streets and the detectives are still working.”
Asked about the Black Lives Matter demonstrations currently underway, he said, “I feel very optimistic at the number of people stepping up and talking about it, making statements. I’ve never seen this kind of response in my short life. I’m very hopeful we will see systemic change that will allow particularly black people the opportunities they’ve been denied for so long.
“For me, having had so many doors opened to me coming up through the Work to Ride program, I’ve always wanted to be in the position to give back and help people who come from the same background I come from. It’s been eye opening for me that people are still struggling to understand the daily struggles of people where I come from and that kids are still being denied opportunities. But I’m very hopeful. I hope that people don’t just deliver statements and there is follow up and real action.”
It’s perfect timing for a book that will undoubtedly open even more eyes and become part of the ongoing conversation about racial inequality.
Well done, Kareem.
Crossing the Line will be released February 9, 2021 and is available for preorder now at https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250270863