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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... tennis charmed Blake star fractured life and and People lov- his neck in an on-court freak accident. As he recovered, his father—who had been the inspi- ration for his tennis career—lost his battle with stomach cancer. Shortly after his ...
... tennis and in life.” —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 ...
... court to have you autograph tennis balls, rackets, hats, or even body parts when nothing else is available; and you spend a ridiculous amount of time on airplanes, literally living among the clouds. In some ways, I think that the ...
... court. I was about to wrap up the season in the mid—to lowthirties, my first ... Tennis Classic in Washington, DC, just over a year earlier, in August 2002 ... tennis fans in August like the sight of Andre Agassi plying his trade. I could ...
... court, your name is announced, and you wave up to the fans. Tennis is an individual sport, so being a player at some level means being an entertainer, and having that time to connect with the crowd before you turn your focus to your ...
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 |