Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My LifeHarper Collins, 2009 M03 17 - 288 pages James Blake's life was getting better every day. A rising tennis star and People magazine's Sexiest Male Athlete of 2002, he was leading a charmed life and loving every minute of it. But all that ended in May 2004, when Blake fractured his neck in an on-court freak accident. As he recovered, his father—who had been the inspiration for his tennis career—lost his battle with stomach cancer. Shortly after his father's death, Blake was dealt a third blow when he contracted zoster, a rare virus that paralyzed half of his face and threatened to end his already jeopardized career. In Breaking Back, Blake provides a remarkable account of how he came back from this terrible heartbreak and self-doubt to become one of the top tennis players in the world. A story of strength, passion, courage, and the unbreakable bonds between a father and son, Breaking Back is a celebration of one extraordinary athlete's indomitable spirit and his inspiring ability to find hope in the bleakest of times. |
From inside the book
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... join the professional tennis circuit. He grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut, and resides in Tampa Bay, Florida. Andrew Friedman is a freelance writer. He lives in New York City. BREAKING BACK HOW I LOST EVERYTHING AND WON BACK MY.
... Fairfield, Connecticut. The music was blaring on the stereo, beer, chicken wings, and burgers from nearby Archie Moore's restaurant on the kitchen counter, and friends from every era of my life hanging out—the fact that they had work ...
... days, arriving on the other side with a new understanding, and a new approach to everything I do, on the court, and off. JAMES BLAKE Fairfield, Connecticut December 2006 ONE THE STATEMENT DECEMBER 2003 Even if you are on 5 PROLOGUE.
... Fairfield, Connecticut. But tennis, like every other sport that we played growing up, was just a part of our lives, not the thing that defined them. In fact, it wasn't the ATP that Thomas dreamed of; it was Harvard University, a goal he ...
... Fairfield, Connecticut, near where the town line separates it from Bridgeport. Back then (and today as well), I spent a lot of my noncompetition time in Tampa, Florida, where I own a house. To keep my game and fitness level up, I ...
Contents
1 | |
7 | |
It Could Be Worse | 35 |
Requiem for a Superman | 63 |
Five Minutes of Hitting | 115 |
Plan B | 147 |
If You Can Win One Set | 175 |
You Can Win Two 175 7 Fire It Up One Time Bam 203 8 Getting Better 241 Epilogue 257 Glossary | 265 |