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
... tell me what the similarity is.” His tirade became a cause célèbre, catapulting me into the national spotlight for the first time, but I didn't revisit that match because of the controversy; I remembered it for what my coach, Brian ...
... telling marks of your character on the court is whether or not you can break back, because you need to pull it off when your confidence is down and your opponent's is up. As 2003 wound down, it became clear to me that I lacked that ...
... tell right away that something was terribly wrong because, although she did her best to hide it, she was clearly in an emotional state. I soon understood why as she confirmed all of our worst fears; my father had been diagnosed with ...
... tell my father how to limit his workouts. As soon as the door closed, Dad turned to me and said, “I did more than that just yesterday.” While my mother and brother helped shape the person I am today, more than anyone, it was my father ...
... telling myself to put up or shut up. When I got to Fairfield for Christmas, I couldn't lose that idea that something needed to change, but my hair was just the beginning. I found myself living a double life. I'd spend hours hanging with ...
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 |