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Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life
by James Blake Andrew FriedmanJames 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.
Breaking Barriers: The Story of Jackie Robinson (Tangled History)
by Michael BurganIn an immersive, exciting narrative nonfiction format, this powerful book follows a selection of people who experienced the events surrounding the breaking of the color barrier in baseball.
Breaking The Chain: Drugs and Cycling - The True Story
by Willy Voet-------------------------------On 8 July 1998 Festina team soigneur Willy Voet was stopped by the police. In his car were the drugs the team needed if they were to have any chance of playing a competitive part in the 1998 Tour de France. The car was searched, he was immediately arrested and so the story that has been undermining the sport of cycling since the death of Tommy Simpson in 1967, finally broke. Imprisoned for sixteen days, sacked from the Festina team and ostracised from the sport to which he had dedicated his life, Willy Voet at last was able to tell the truth. His sensational story will change cycling forever.Cocaine, amphetamines, EPO, heroin - all these are now considered not optional but necessary, not to win but just to compete in the Tour de France. Details of how these drugs are obtained, mixed together to make cocktails, administered and concealed are all included in this graphic and uninhibited account of how drugs brought cycling to its knees.
Breaking Free: Shattering Expectations and Thriving with Ambition in Pursuit of Gold
by McKenzie Coan Holly Neumann Kara Ayers<p><p>"I have no interest in living my life like a China doll." <p><p>McKenzie Coan is an elite athlete. A world champion. A Paralympic gold medalist. A world record holder. And she's not done yet. <p><p>In Breaking Free, McKenzie tells how she finds strength through swimming, despite the limited expectations placed on her by having osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease. With her graceful freestyle stroke and never-quit attitude, McKenzie breaks through the barriers of disability and lives a life of hope on the Paralympic stage and beyond. <p><p>"Keep going. It is so worth it. I've had my hard moments in the pool before, too, but keep going. A champion's mindset isn't always about breaking records and winning gold medals. What makes a champion is going out on your lowest day or on the day that you fail or the day that you lose and still giving your all, still giving your best and refusing to quit."
Breaking Free: My Life with Dissociative Identity Disorder
by Herschel Walker Gary Brozek Charlene MaxfieldThe NFL legend and Heisman Trophy winner shares the inspiring story of his life and diagnosis with dissociative identity disorder. Herschel Walker is widely regarded as one of football's greatest running backs. He led the University of Georgia to victory in the Sugar Bowl on the way to an NCAA Championship and he capped a sensational college career by earning the 1982 Heisman Trophy. Herschel spent twelve years in the NFL, where he rushed for more than eight thousand yards and scored sixty-one rushing touchdowns. But despite the acclaim he won as a football legend, track star, Olympic competitor, and later a successful businessman, Herschel realized that his life, at times, was simply out of control. He often felt angry, self-destructive, and unable to connect meaningfully with friends and family. Drawing on his deep faith, Herschel turned to professionals for help and was ultimately diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, formerly known as multiple personality disorder. While some might have taken this diagnosis as a setback, Herschel approached his mental health with the same indomitable spirit he brought to the playing field. It also gave him, for the first time, insight into his life's unexplained passages, stretches of time that seemed forever lost. Herschel came to understand that during those times, his "alters," or alternate personalities, were in control. Born into a poor, but loving family in the South, Herschel was an overweight child with a stutter who suffered terrible bullying at school. He now understands that he created "alters" who could withstand abuse. But beyond simply enduring, other "alters" came forward to help Herschel overcome numerous obstacles and, by the time he graduated high school, become an athlete recognized on a national level. In Breaking Free, Herschel tells his story -- from the joys and hardships of childhood to his explosive impact on college football to his remarkable professional career. And he gives voice and hope to those suffering from DID. Herschel shows how this disorder played an integral role in his accomplishments and how he has learned to live with it today. His compelling account testifies to the strength of the human spirit and its ability to overcome any challenge.
Breaking Her Rules
by Jennifer SnowMMA fighters go the distance in this all-new series from Jennifer Snow, author of the Brookhollow novels. Walker Adams was supposed to follow in his lawyer father's footsteps, but instead he's training to be an MMA fighter. And while he works for his chance to make it in the Maximum Fight League, he's bunking on his baby sister's best friend's couch. Gracie Andrews is all grown up--in all the right places. But she's engaged to the fight match-maker who holds Walker's career in his hands...Gracie had almost convinced herself that she'd put her silly childhood crush on Walker to rest. But the sight of him sleeping in only a pair of boxer briefs makes it clear that some things never change. And as old sparks turn to flames, Gracie is forced to decide between the future she thought she wanted or the man she's never stopped loving...
Breaking the Fall (Thoroughbred #67)
by Joanna CampbellWill an injury spell the end for Christina's racing career and her friendship with Melanie?After taking a year off to train with her beloved Star for the Breeders' Cup, Christina is back in silks riding a few preliminary races. But all her plans are shattered when she suffers a severe injury in a track accident. When she learns she won't be able to ride for at least three months, Christina reluctantly agrees to let Melanie train Star -- a situation that will begin to tear the cousins apart. Will they be able to mend their differences for Star's sake? And just what will Christina do while her injury heals?Check out the bio and photo of famed racehorse Whirlaway inside!Ages 10-13
Breaking the Ice (Silver Blades, #1)
by Melissa LowellNikki Simon is thrilled about being a member of Silver Blades but realizes that it is not going to be easy. Both Nikki and another skater, Tori Carsen, have to land the double flip jump. Will Tori be able to do it?
Breaking the Ice
by Gail NallFigure skating is Kaitlin's passion, but she lands on thin ice after a meltdown in this funny, touching story. Because when you fall down, you have to pick yourself up--even if it's in front of judges and a crowd.Kaitlin has always dreamed of being a champion figure skater, and she's given up a lot to pursue her passion. But after she has a totally uncharacteristic tantrum at a major competition, she's dropped by her coach and her prestigious skating club. When no other club will have her, she's forced to join the ridiculed and run-down Fallton Club, jokingly referred to as the "Fall Down Club." At first Kaitlin thinks this is a complete disaster, but after meeting some of the other skaters--including a boy who happens to have the most perfect hair she's ever seen--she realizes it might not actually be so bad. Yet learning a whole new program right before regionals is a huge challenge, and when she realizes that all the other area skaters target Fallton for pranks, she begins to wonder if joining the Fall Down Club has any upsides.
Breaking the Ice (States Of Love)
by Tali SpencerFor Matt Wasko, February in Wisconsin is the best time of the year, and ice fishing on Lake Winnebago is his idea of heaven. With shanty villages cropping up, barbeques on the ice, monster sturgeon to spear, and plenty of booze to keep everybody warm, things couldn’t be better—until a surprise storm hits and an uninvited guest shows up at his frozen doorstep. Matt’s not happy to see John Lutz, a coworker who cracks lame gay jokes at Matt’s expense. But John’s flimsy new ice shelter got blown across the lake, and it wouldn’t be right to leave even a jerk outside to freeze. Would it? In the close quarters of Matt’s fabulous ice shanty, between stripping off wet clothes, misadventures with bait, and a fighting trophy-sized walleye, the two men discover creative ways to keep the cold at bay. And when John confesses his long-running attraction, Matt must decide if he can believe in John’s change of heart—and crack the ice for a chance at finding love.States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.
Breaking the Line
by Samuel G. Freedman1967. Two rival football teams. Two legendary coaches. Two talented quarterbacks. Together they broke the color line, revolutionized college sports, and transformed the NFL.Samuel Freedman brings to life the historic saga of the battle for the 1967 black-college championship between Grambling College and Florida A&M. Breaking the Line reaches its climax in a tense, excruciatingly close game between the two teams, recounted with suspense and drama that stands with David Maraniss' immortal description of the "Ice Bowl" game. As Maraniss showed in When Pride Still Mattered and Clemente how individuals can transform their sports, Freedman chronicles Jake Gaither of A&M and Eddie Robinson of Grambling, and their quarterbacks, Ken Riley and James Harris, as they bring about two historic firsts: the first game to be played in the South between a black and a white school, and the first starting black quarterback in the NFL. These four men and their teams made a profound difference in how America finally came to appreciate the talent of black athletes. They helped compel the segregated colleges of the South to integrate their teams. They forever redefined who could play quarterback, be a head coach, or run a franchise as general manager in the NFL. Their story is a missing piece of sports history, black history, American history. Breaking the Line is a moving and crucial addition to the history of the Civil Rights Movement.
Breaking the Mould
by Angela PipposSport is integral to Australian life and identity, and we’re rightly proud of our sporting achievements. But less glorious is the fact that, when it comes to the games we play, half of the population doesn’t get a look-in. According to the latest statistics, 81 per cent of sports media covers male-only sport, while just 8.7 per cent focuses on women. That’s right – horses got more attention than female athletes! Pick any sport and it’s easy to find examples of stark gender inequality and double standards so glaring that they’re almost laughable. But an extraordinary transformation is taking place, and nobody is better placed to call it than veteran sports journalist Angela Pippos. In Breaking the Mould, Pippos charts a powerful awakening across Australian life; from suburban footy fields to stadium cage fights, female athletes are changing the status quo through fierce determination and undeniable performances. Through candid and often hilarious personal tales from a life spent in and around sport, Pippos calls out the systems that have kept women on the sidelines, and challenges us to keep working towards a level playing field where any young woman can become her sporting best.
Breaking the Slump: How Great Players Survived Their Darkest Moments in Golf—and What You Can Learn from Them
by Jimmy RobertsIn Breaking the Slump, NBC golf commentator Jimmy Roberts shares the “slump stories” of some of the greatest professional golfers of all time—from Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson to Phil Michelson and Dottie Palmer—offering valuable tips and strategies to help any player overcome that inevitable stretch of absolutely wretched golf.
Breaking the Surface
by Eric Marcus Greg LouganisThis is a new edition of Greg Louganis's 1995 #1 New York Times bestselling autobiography and Literary Guild Selection. It is the unflinchingly honest first-person account of a man breaking free of a lifetime of silence and isolation.Born to a young Samoan father and Northern European mother, and adopted at nine months, Greg began diving at age nine, and at sixteen won a silver medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. But despite his astonishing athletic skill, Greg struggled with late-detected dyslexia, prejudice toward his dark skin coloring and anguish over his homosexuality, which he felt compelled to hide. Being in the spotlight intensified his difficulties with relationships and substance abuse. However, Louganis went on to win double gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. His triumph at the 1988 Olympics came several months after he tested positive for HIV. This is the haunting, searingly candid story of the world's greatest diver. This new edition includes a new foreword.
Breaking the Violence (Hard Drive #3)
by Tricia AndersenFinding the woman of his dreams in a burning car, Mark Jacobsen figures he’ll never see her again. As consolation, he buries himself in preparing for his first professional MMA fight. When she shows up in his ER with bruises, he discovers that her ex-husband is abusing her. He helps her find courage as he falls in love with not only her but her son. But how far will her ex go to keep her? Is Mark’s love great enough to put his life in danger? Lexi Mills isn’t sure how much she can trust Mark Jacobsen. Years of torture from her ex-husband makes her wary of all relationships. But the gentle teddy bear of a man begins to break down her walls. Can she find love with the full time doctor and part time MMA fighter? Or will her ex end her life before she finds out?
Breaking Through My Limits
by Alexandra OrlandoAlexandra Orlando is an Olympic athlete who dedicated seventeen years of her life to the sport of rhythmic gymnastics, winning almost two hundred medals. Despite injury, she competed at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, and retired from the sport at the age of twenty-one as one of the top ten gymnasts in the world. Her incredible story is one of struggle and strength. Through it all, her family and friends watched the sport consume her; and every person that came into her life was affected by the constant fight for perfection, and the mental and physical exhaustion. Those who had the strength never left her side. And when the dust settled, a woman emerged who was stronger than she ever thought she could be. Reflecting back on her life as ""Alex the Gymnast,"" Alexandra takes a deeper look on who she was during her career, who she had to be, and how this made her the person she is today.
Breaking Trail: A Climbing Life
by Arlene BlumArlene Blum is a legendary trailblazer by any measure. Defying the climbing establishment of the 1970s, she led the first teams of women on successful ascents of Mt. McKinley and Annapurna, and was the first American woman to attempt Mt. Everest. In her long, adventurous career, she has played a leading role in more than twenty expeditions and forged a place for women in the perilous arena of high-altitude mountaineering. Breaking Trail is the story of Blum's journey from her overprotected youth in Chicago to the tops of some of the highest peaks on Earth. Chronicling a life of extraordinary personal and professional achievement, Blum's intimate and inspiring memoir explores how her childhood fueled her need to climb -- and how, in turn, her climbing liberated her from her childhood. Each chapter in Breaking Trail begins with a poignant vignette from Blum's early life. Using these as starting points, she traces her evolution as a climber, from a hilariously incompetent beginner to an aspiring mountaineer to a successful, confident, and world-renowned expedition leader. Along the way, she takes us to some of the most extreme and exquisite places on the planet, sharing the exhilaration, toil, and danger of climbing high. Blum also relates the story of her scientific career, which, like her mountaineering, challenged gender stereotypes and was filled with singular accomplishments, including the banning of two cancer-causing chemicals and the initiation of an important area of biophysical research. Writing with remarkable candor and introspection, Blum recounts her triumphs and tragedies, and provides a probing look at what drove her to endure extreme physical discomfort -- and even to risk her life -- attempting high, remote summits around the world. In her story, she shares intimate insights into how and why climbers persevere under the harshest circumstances, cope with the deaths of their comrades, and balance their desire for adventure with their personal lives. Complemented with breathtaking personal photos and detailed maps, Breaking Trail is a deeply moving account of how one woman overcame adversity to become one of the world's most famous climbers, and a testament to the power of taking risks and pursuing dreams.
Breaking Trail
by Arlene BlumArlene Blum is a legendary trailblazer by any measure. Defying the climbing establishment of the 1970s, she led the first teams of women on successful ascents of Mt. McKinley and Annapurna, and was the first American woman to attempt Mt. Everest. In her long, adventurous career, she has played a leading role in more than twenty expeditions and forged a place for women in the perilous arena of high-altitude mountaineering. Breaking Trail is the story of Blum's journey from her overprotected youth in Chicago to the tops of some of the highest peaks on Earth. Chronicling a life of extraordinary personal and professional achievement, Blum's intimate and inspiring memoir explores how her childhood fueled her need to climb -- and how, in turn, her climbing liberated her from her childhood. Each chapter in Breaking Trail begins with a poignant vignette from Blum's early life. Using these as starting points, she traces her evolution as a climber, from a hilariously incompetent beginner to an aspiring mountaineer to a successful, confident, and world-renowned expedition leader. Along the way, she takes us to some of the most extreme and exquisite places on the planet, sharing the exhilaration, toil, and danger of climbing high. Blum also relates the story of her scientific career, which, like her mountaineering, challenged gender stereotypes and was filled with singular accomplishments, including the banning of two cancer-causing chemicals and the initiation of an important area of biophysical research. Writing with remarkable candor and introspection, Blum recounts her triumphs and tragedies, and provides a probing look at what drove her to endure extreme physical discomfort -- and even to risk her life -- attempting high, remote summits around the world. In her story, she shares intimate insights into how and why climbers persevere under the harshest circumstances, cope with the deaths of their comrades, and balance their desire for adventure with their personal lives. Complemented with breathtaking personal photos and detailed maps, Breaking Trail is a deeply moving account of how one woman overcame adversity to become one of the world's most famous climbers, and a testament to the power of taking risks and pursuing dreams.
The Breaks of the Game
by David HalberstamMore than 6 years after his death David Halberstam remains one of this country's most respected journalists and revered authorities on American life and history in the years since WWII. A Pulitzer Prize-winner for his ground-breaking reporting on the Vietnam War, Halberstam wrote more than 20 books, almost all of them bestsellers. His work has stood the test of time and has become the standard by which all journalists measure themselves.The New York Times bestseller, now with a new introduction! The Breaks of the Game focuses on one grim season (1979-80) in the life of the Bill Walton-led Portland Trail Blazers, a team that only three years before had been NBA champions.The tactile authenticity of Halberstam's knowledge of the basketball world is unrivaled. Yet he is writing here about far more than just basketball. This is a story about a place in our society where power, money, and talent collide and sometimes corrupt, a place where both national obsessions and naked greed are exposed. It's about the influence of big media, the fans and the hype they subsist on, the clash of ethics, the terrible physical demands of modern sports (from drugs to body size), the unreal salaries, the conflicts of race and class, and the consequences of sport converted into mass entertainment and athletes transformed into superstars--all presented in a way that puts the reader in the room and on the court, and The Breaks of the Game in a league of its own.
Breakthrough (The\red Zone Ser.)
by A. L. PriestEfram is new to Troy, Ohio, a town where football is everything. And as soon as he sets foot in Troy Central High, the school's head coach takes notice of Efram's perfect football build. Suddenly Efram is gearing up for practice—even though he has never played the game. Flick is too small to run for a touchdown or sack a quarterback. And with his mohawk and outsider attitude, he's not exactly a team player. But he notices things on the football field that most people can't see. When Flick and Efram team up, they'll show Troy Central High a whole new way to win.
Breakthrough (The Red Zone #2)
by A. L. PriestEfram is new to Troy, Ohio, a town where football is everything. And as soon as he sets foot in Troy Central High, the school's head coach takes notice of Efram's perfect football build. Suddenly Efram is gearing up for practice—even though he has never played the game. Flick is too small to run for a touchdown or sack a quarterback. And with his mohawk and outsider attitude, he's not exactly a team player. But he notices things on the football field that most people can't see. When Flick and Efram team up, they'll show Troy Central High a whole new way to win.
Breakthrough Marksmanship: The Tools Of Practical Shooting
by Ben StoegerBen Stoeger has been teaching Practical Shooting for more than a decade. He has watched thousands of students fire millions of rounds over the years which taught him quite a lot about shooting, including how individuals process and obtain an understanding of shooting. Students repeatedly shoot the same patterns over and over again, and the same drills highlight the same mistakes. Over time, it has become easy for Stoeger to spot these patterns. The difficulty is in making the student see and understand what he saw. This understanding leads to an improvement in shooting. Over time, the drills in this book have been created and modified to highlight the patterns that Stoeger was seeing, and give an in depth guide to students that will allow them to understand what they are doing wrong and comprehend how to fix it. Breakthrough Marksmanship contains a simple set of ideas, techniques, and drills; distilled down to an uncomplicated form. By developing your understanding of the concepts contained in this book, you can achieve your own breakthrough.
Breakthrough on Skis
by Lito Tejada-FloresIn this wonderfully innovative yet practical guide to skiing, acclaimed instructor Tejada-Flores explains how to break the bad habits of an intermediate skier and learn to ski even the steepest, bumpiest slopes with the grace and speed of an expert.
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
by James NestorNo matter what you eat, how much you exercise, how skinny or young or wise you are, none of it matters if you&’re not breathing properly.There is nothing more essential to our health and well-being than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren&’t found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance; rejuvenate internal organs; halt snoring, asthma, and autoimmune disease; and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again.
Breath Like Water
by Anna Jarzab“Expansive, romantic, and powerful.” —Gayle Forman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of If I Stay and I Have Lost My WaySusannah Ramos has always loved the water. A swimmer whose early talent made her a world champion, Susannah was poised for greatness in a sport that demands so much of its young. But an inexplicable slowdown has put her dream in jeopardy, and Susannah is fighting to keep her career afloat when two important people enter her life: a new coach with a revolutionary training strategy, and a charming fellow swimmer named Harry Matthews.As Susannah begins her long and painful climb back to the top, her friendship with Harry blossoms into passionate and supportive love. But Harry is facing challenges of his own, and even as their bond draws them closer together, other forces work to tear them apart. As she struggles to balance her needs with those of the people who matter most to her, Susannah will learn the cost—and the beauty—of trying to achieve something extraordinary.