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One of America's rising tennis stars describes how his career was jeopardized by a freak accident on the court that broke his back; how his recovery was threatened by the loss of his father to cancer and to the illness, caused by the Herpes zoster virus, that paralyzed half of his face; and the determination and parental wisdom that led him to persevere. 75,000 first printing.A rising tennis star describes how his career was jeopardized by a freak accident on the court that broke his back; how his recovery was threatened by an illness that paralyzed half of his face; and the determination that led him to persevere.In 2004, James Blake's life was getting more perfect by the day. A rising tennis star, with each passing year his game seemed to improve. In 2002, he was named Sexiest Male Athlete by People, and along the way he continued to gain in the rankings and earn respect on the court. Each day seemed to offer a new milestone, a new achievement; he was leading a charmed life and loving every minute of the ride. But that life came to an abrupt halt in May 2004 when Blake broke his back in a freak accident on the court. A few months later, as Blake was recovering from his injury, he suffered another tremendous setback when his father–the man who had raised him and provided the inspiration for his tennis career–lost his battle with stomach cancer. Shortly after his father's death, Blake's situation was further complicated when he contracted Zoster, a rare virus that paralyzed half of his face and threatened to end his already jeopardized tennis career. Breaking Back tells the story of the tumultous year that followed these three devastating events, detailing how Blake persevered through hardship to become one of the best tennis players in the world. Here Blake explains how the wisdom and words that his father imparted to him over the years gave him the ability to succeed in the face of these seemingly insurmountable odds. Though these trials proved the most difficult of his life, ultimately this trifecta of tragedy became the culmination of all his father's lessons, showing Blake that even in death, his father was still teaching him how to be a man. In the spirit of Lance Armstrong's It's Not About the Bike and Joan Didion's The Year of Magical Thinking comes this remarkable tale of strength and determination from one of tennis's biggest stars. A story of passion, willpower, and the unbreakable bonds between a father and a son, Breaking Back is one athlete's account of finding hope in the bleakest of times.In 2004, James Blake's world was getting more perfect by the day. As a rising young tennis star, his life and his game were constantly gathering new momentum while he traveled the world and rose through the international tennis rankings - eventually climbing as high as number twenty-two. With a tournament victory and many great matches under his belt (not to mention being named People's Sexiest Male Athlete in 2002), each day seemed to offer a new milestone, a new achievement; he was leading a charmed life and loving every minute of it.But that life came to a shocking halt in May 2004, when Blake fractured his neck in a freak accident on the court. A few months later, as he was recovering from his injury, he suffered another heart-stopping setback when his father - the man who had been the inspiration for his tennis career and the center of his world - 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 tennis career.Tracing Blake's life in the wake of these three cataclysmic events, Breaking Back tells the dramatic story of the tumultuous year that followed this convergence of tragedies. Blake examines the mental fears, physical strains, and frustrating heartbreak that followed him from hard-fought qualifiers to match point on the US Open's center court as he tried to win his life back from misfortune. Detailing each step of his journey, he explains how the off-court challenges of 2004 powered him through his self-doubt, guided him to the world's top five, and proved that even in death his father was still teaching him to be a man. |
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| 출처 : 알라딘 |
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