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
Results 6-9 of 9
... took a positive tone: What if, I thought to myself, I took my game to the next level? What if I stopped losing to guys I know I can beat? What if I didn't get down on myself when I found myself in a bad patch in a match? My what-ifs ...
... took me and Thomas aside and shared some potentially grim news with us: our father had stayed behind, in part, because he said he had to have a routine hernia operation. But my mother hadn't been able to reach him by phone or e-mail in ...
... took great pride that he continued to exercise: I was with him on one of those hospital visits when the doctor, on his way out of the room, stopped and remembered to tell my father how to limit his workouts. As soon as the door closed ...
... took it to heart.Throughout my career, I had made it a point not to set any specific goals, and rather than being hung up about my ranking, a particular opponent, or even the big picture of my career, I just stayed focused on getting ...
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 |