CODY SIMPSON Welcome To Paradise: My Journey 100% official

INTRODUCTION

WELCOME TO PARADISE

I stand behind the heavy certain, waiting. The energy of the crowd is palpable in the air. The O2 Arena in London is swelling with nearly 20,000 fans. This is going to be the biggest concert of my life! And I can't wait to get out onstage and give them all I have. I wait to take the stage, and think about how far from my

beach-town roots in Australia. I am halfway around the world and about to perform in front of a huge crowd. I roll up onto the balls of my feet, Adrenalin just surging through every cell in my body. It's nearly time!

I hear the music starting, my cue. It's my last moment of calm before I storm

I turn to my security guard Jeff and we do our handshake, like always, before I go out onstage. I take a few steps and feel the heavy of the bright lights and the power of the Audience's screams.

"It's such a honor to be here this evening! I want to thank my mate Justin Bieber for having me here in London. And I want to thank all these beautiful fans for coming out tonight. Before u get started I want to introduce myself. My name is Cody Simpson."

I have always dreamed big, but I never grew up dreaming to be a pop star. Instead, my sights were on achieving the highest honors in competitive swimming - Olympic gold medals

My love of the water began when I was just a few years old when my parents started taking my to swimming pools and the beach. I started swimming competitively at the age of nine and I had a natural ability, even though I was smaller and scrawnier than the other kids. I was clearly the underdog, but I worked the hardiest at our practices and when I went to my first competition with my local swimming club, Miami swimming club, I won every race. That feeling of winning after training so hard was imprinted from that day on. I knew anything was possible if you worked hard enough for it.

That underdog mentality fueled me. I never lost that drive. And eventually I even Australian Schools Swimming National and won most of my events. I like to push myself to a achieve new goals. I set high standards for myself. Working hard just feels natural to me. I don't know how to not be the way I am Ever since I was a youngster, I've wanted to be something extraordinary. I was never content with coming second in a race, or not trying my best. I'm still not. I always push my self to the limit.

Music came to me just as naturally as swimming. My parents introduced me early on. Around the house or at family gatherings, my family and friends regularly pulled out guitars and sang along to the classic country songs by Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. I loved to sit with them and feel a part of music, even before I knew how to play guitar.

Now I'm on this incredible journey. I've already come a long way - from the beaches of Australia to the bright lights of Hollywood - and I have a shot to leave my mark on the music world. This book is a look back at my journey here, from the beginning. Like any meaningful achievement, getting to this point came with a lot of sacrifices and a lot of tough choices. I also know that u have worked long and hard to get here. And that might be the best feeling there is: to put in work and see it pay off when you start achieving your goals.

People always ask: what would you rather have a gold medal or a platinum record? My answer the platinum record. Both require tremendous work and great risk - but, honestly, you can't share a gold medal. My music is for everyone who has taken this journey with me.

You, the fans, have been here for me every step of the way, and now its my turn to give something back to you. I want my fans to understand me and my story. As an artist, it hard to show people all the different parts that make you who you really are. This is my chance to lift the curtain and the choices that leas me here - to Paradise.