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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... 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 man. He excelled at both. He has inspired young people everywhere ...
... felt sorry for me because of my genealogy, predicting that I'd be hated by blacks and whites. I told my mother about what he said, and she replied that she didn't see why I wouldn't be loved by both communities, an outcome that hadn't ...
... was sinking like a stone. It had been a difficult year, one in which I'd lost a number of matches I felt I could, and should, have won, often due more to my mental unraveling than to what actually transpired on the 13 THE STATEMENT.
... felt like a split personality. One side of me was having an out-of-body experience; the other was firmly in touch with my body and anxiously aware of the butterflies that were inhabiting my entire stomach. Somehow, I pulled myself ...
... felt the letdown of the loss acutely, recognizing that this turn would offer a serious blow to my fledging confidence. Rafter was one of the most popular, likable guys on the tour, and after the match, as we shook hands at the net, he ...
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 |