Review of “Iron Will”

 This book was one I was not looking for nor was it sent to me by the author or publisher. In the waning days of Black History mont, the local library had a few biographies and memoirs on display of Black people. This one caught my eye and it was an excellent, quick read for 

Title/Author:

“Iron Will: An Amputee’s Journey to Athletic Excellence” by Roderick Sewell II

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (excellent)

Review: 

The Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii is considered to be the most grueling triathlon and many athletes consider it a great accomplishment to just finish. In 2019, Roderick Sewell became the first double amputee to finish the event. He tells his journey to get to this point in this excellent memoir. 

Born without his tibias, Roderick’s mother Marion made the decision to amputate Roderick’s legs when he was two. This was the start of his journey of perseverance and determination as he was able to get around well on his stumps, per his words in his book. However, to truly allow Roderick to be fully functioning, Marion made the hard decision to give up her job to have this procedure covered by California Children's Services. This was one of the most powerful moments of Roderick’s story. A single Black mother sacrificing everything for her disabled son. 

Roderick discovered the Challenged Athletes Foundation in their town of San Diego and here he learned to play wheelchair basketball. That was when the sports bug hit him and despite his living situation in shelters and lacking transportation, he eventually became a very good swimmer and athlete. His training and living situations brought him from California to Alabama (many of Marion’s relatives lived there) to New York and Hawaii. Roderick always is upbeat in his description of any situation he encounters. It shows that his bond and love for his mother is strong and the sacrifices she made for him. 

There isn’t a lot of discussion by Roderick about his training or competition. There’s enough to follow his athletic journey, especially as he became a good swimmer, but the majority of the book tell of his determination to succeed, no matter what his particular situation may be. A very inspiring book that whether or not one is a sports fan, a reader will be cheering for Roderick and Marion. 

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Will-Amputees-Athletic-Excellence/dp/1538741563/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0 n

Review of "Running With Raven"

Have you ever picked up a book that ended up being so captivating that you didn't put it down until you finished?  That was the case for me with this book as the story of this man who has run eight miles on the sandy beach every single day for over 40 years was fascinating.  The title includes the word "amazing" - probably the best one-word description of this book.  Here is my review of "Running with Raven."

Title/Author:

“Running with Raven: The Amazing Story of One Man, His Passion and the Community He Inspired” by Laura Lee Huttenbach

Tags:

Running, biography, inspiration, streak

Publish date:

April 25, 2017

Length:

256 pages

Rating: 

5 of 5 stars (outstanding)

Review:

It can be difficult to make a resolution to do anything every day as unforeseen circumstances may force one to miss a day. Now imagine trying to do an eight-mile run on the beach every day – for 40 years!  Believe it or not, that has been accomplished by Robert “Raven” Kraft, a resident of Miami Beach. That accomplishment and his story is captured in this outstanding book by Laura Lee Huttenbach.

The streak, while a wonderful accomplishment, is only part of the story. Raven’s personality and perseverance has grown into a running community that is like no other. Thousands of people have made the run alongside Raven over the decades and they share a common bond of not only running, but also being honored with a nickname given by Raven. Raven not only remembers nicknames, but also personal details of nearly every single running in this community. It has grown to have its own set of awards and an annual dinner since 1996.  Raven’s steak also has been the subject of numerous news segments and an ESPN segment on the weekly show “Outside the Lines.

Huttenbach, who has many runs with Raven and the nickname “White Lightning” writes the book from an intimate view that most would not be able to see. Because of her membership in the community, she is able to share details about Raven’s life that many other authors could not obtain about their subjects.  Such as the self-described hoarding that Raven does, the pain he felt for many years over the estrangement of his father and his belief that a country music song he wrote was plagiarized.  By deciding to channel these emotions into an eight-mile run along the sandy beach, he not only changed his own life, but the lives of many others as well.

The reader will enjoy the many stories about Raven’s runs and some of the other members of this running family.  Whether it was running through Hurricane Gilbert with “Springman”, running when Hurricane Andrew was arriving, or going on runs with others who have been there many times like “Taxman”, “Copy Man” and “Sailor” or even some who have only done it once, there isn’t a word wasted as the reader will be enthralled and want to know even more about the legendary runner.  It may even inspire one to start his or her own running streak or just try to make a difference. It is a book that should be read by anyone who wants an uplifting and inspiring story.

I wish to thank Kensington Publishing Corporation for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/Running-Raven-Amazing-Community-Inspired/dp/0806538422/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1485482956&sr=1-1&keywords=running+with+raven

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/running-with-raven-laura-lee-huttenbach/1124230254?ean=9780806538426

Review of "See Jane Climb"

As one who is always looking for books on different sports, I had to say that competitive stair climbing was one sport I had NEVER heard about when the author sent me a message asking if I was interested in reviewing it.  Of course I said yes, and I am glad that I did.  Here is my review of "See Jane Climb."

Title/Author:

“See Jane Climb: How Competitive Stair Climbing Changed My Life” by Jane Trahanovsky

Tags:

Memoir, stair climbing, motivation

Published:

May 16, 2016

Length:

202 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

While the sport of competitive stair climbing may be obscure and not very well known – after all, when was the last time you saw a stair climbing race covered on ESPN? – it has all the benefits and aspects of sports like running and race walking. 

In this easy reading memoir, one of the best women in the sport, Jane Trahanovsky, tells of her story of how the sport got her into shape and made her happier.  She had entered her first stair climbing race after her brother Mark told her about his climb up the Willis Tower in Chicago. At the time, Jane was overweight and not in good physical shape.  Nonetheless, she decided to try it and as the title says, it changed her life.

The book reads like a typical memoir in which the author has one of those life-changing events. In her case, Jane overcame troubles in her life by concentrating on not only the stair climbing for exercise and competition, but also by a complete lifestyle change into healthier eating and living.  Again, these are common themes for memoirs and Jane writes about them in an easy to understand manner.

However, what makes this book different than most sports memoirs is the sport itself and Jane’s writing about her races. Stair climbers have excellent camaraderie with each other and will boost each other’s spirits during competition.  I especially enjoyed reading about the nuances of the climbs, such as using the rails to one’s advantage.  If the stairwell is narrow enough and the climber can place both hands on handrails to lift himself or herself up, that is called “double railing.”  Little pieces like that are sprinkled throughout the book and made it a fun read for a reader like me who had never heard of the sport prior to reading this book.

Jane also gives a shout out to many of her fellow climbers as the last 38 chapters are interviews and snippets into the lives of other climbers. Their stories are varied and just as interesting for a reader who wants to learn more about this sport. I certainly did learn about it and also took away inspiration to try to live a little healthier.  This is a book that is recommended for anyone looking for an inspirational story as Jane’s story certainly is one.

I wish to thank Ms. Trahanovsky for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

Paperback

Buying links:

https://www.amazon.com/See-Jane-Climb-Competitive-Climbing/dp/1938015371/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1475950234&sr=1-1&keywords=see+jane+climb

http://www.seejaneclimbbook.com/

Review of "Iron Heart"

Even though some of the holidays have passed, we are still in the holiday season, so let me take this time to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday season.   

I listened to this book on a long drive recently and finished up during an evening commute and was inspired by this story of a young man who not only survived a horrific car accident, he went on to become an even better athlete than he was before the wreck.  Here is my review of "Iron Heart." 

Title/Author:

“Iron Heart: The True Story of How I Came Back from the Dead” by Brian Boyle, narrated by Robin Bloodworth

Tags:

Memoir, Triathlon, swimming, inspiration

Publish date:

October 1, 2009

Length:

256 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Brian Boyle was a high school athlete who competed on the school swimming and track teams.  He was an accomplished swimmer – accomplished enough to earn a scholarship to a local college.  He also dreamed of one day competing in a triathlon.

Those dreams seemed to have died off on July 6, 2007 when he was severely injured in an automobile accident. There is no need to list all of the injuries suffered here, as Brian does that during this account of his story.  He tells of those believing he has no chance for survival, but through his will to live, unlimited parental support and the care and guidance of many medical professionals, he will not only survive, but be able to walk again and carry out daily functions.

The story of his recovery took a larger portion of the book than I had anticipated, as the title might suggest.  The synopsis talks about his determination to compete in a triathlon – and not just any triathlon – it is the Kona Ironman triathlon, one of the toughest courses.   After Brian has regained enough strength to do some jogging and gets back in the pool, he decides to train for this.  A production crew from NBC follows him and his training for first a half-triathlon in Michigan before the Kona Ironman.  The short amount of time he had for this seems incredible, but being able to finish these races is a testament to his determination and is an inspiring story for all of us.

What I liked best about the book is that it takes the reader into the mind of an athlete. This is evident even while Brian is in the hospital, as he talks at times about his scholastic swimming and field events like the discus and shot put. Then, during not only his training for the triathlon, but also during his recovery, physical therapy and even bodybuilding (he did that before training for the triathlon), Brian talks about what he is thinking while in this phase. He has his doubts, his highs and lows, and many adventures along the way.  These are interspersed throughout the passages, making the reader keenly aware of what he is thinking about as well as what he is physically doing in order to make this dream a reality.

This book was a good choice to listen to as well as the narrator did a very good job of reflecting the feelings behind Brian’s thoughts as well.  I felt these came out better on audio than they would have if I read the printed version.  It is a well-written memoir that people will enjoy if they like inspirational stories.

Pace of the book: 

For the most part, Brian’s story moved along at a good pace.  Not being a triathlete, the sections when he listed what exercises were in his daily training regiment, I admit to skimming over these by fast forwarding to the next section.   

Do I recommend? 

For an inspirational story or for a story where a seemingly impossible goal can be achieved, this book delivers on both of those accounts. However, if the reader wants to learn what goes on in the mind of an athlete, this book does well for that as well.

Book Format Read:

Audio book

Buying links:

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Heart-True-Story-Came-ebook/dp/B004N84I6W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1419778379&sr=1-1&keywords=iron+heart

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/iron-heart-brian-boyle/1016200775?ean=9781616083601