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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... believe we've become one ourselves, and the higher you climb, the more surreal it gets. People recognize you on the street; designers throw clothes at you on the off chance that a reporter might mention it in print; hordes of children ...
... believe in the inherent goodness of other people and keeping me from being sucked down into the darkness that sometimes overshadows the joy of living. My parents' optimism also carried over into tennis, a sport they both loved. They ...
... world according to the computer rankings, and by the end of 2002, I had worked my way up to number twentyeight. It was more than I had ever imagined for myself, and for the first time, I started to believe that I actually 12 BREAKING BACK.
... believe that I actually deserved to be in the same league as the guys who had been training for such glory since they were old enough to walk and hold a racket. Right after talent, health, and conditioning, confidence is about the most ...
... believe it yourself.” He paused, then said, “Now do you believe?” It was a remarkable statement, if for no other reason, 16 BREAKING BACK.
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 |