Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My LifeJames 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
Results 1-5 of 10
magazine's ing every Blake's minute Sexiest life of was Male it. getting But
Athlete all better that of ended 2002, every he in day. May was A leading 2004,
rising when a tennis charmed Blake star fractured life and and People lov- his
neck in ...
—Andre Agassi “Quite simply the best athlete book I've ever read.” —Darren
Rovell, CNBC “There is no doubt that James Blake's detailed recollections of his
professional wins and losses will thrill every tennis fan, but it is his honest and ...
—Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, wife of the late Arthur Ashe “I have always felt in
tennis—as in most sports—it's not enough to be a talented athlete; the best
players are those who also show great character off the court. James Blake is
such a ...
From there, we will continue to travel and play on and off for the better part of the
next eleven months. Success in professional sports is a funny thing. You might
say that pro athletes live with three certainties looming over them: Death, taxes, ...
Like many young athletes, I was having too much fun for such weighty
introspection. The ATP tour is like a kind of traveling neverland, where no one
forces you to grow up. So a lot of the guys are indistinguishable from overgrown ...
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User Review - sugarhill203 - Overstock.comI found the book interesting and easy to read due to the content and good writting. Being a tennis fan I found the book to show the reasons the commentators use very positive words describing James Blake. James his mother and brother are always shown respect when referring to them. Read full review
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 |