Walking Miracle
How Faith, Positive Thinking, and Passion for Football Brought Me Back from Paralysis...and Helped Me Find Purpose
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4.5 • 6 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
Nearly four years after an errant tackle left him paralyzed below the waist, the inspiring comeback story of how former Pittsburgh Steeler Ryan Shazier recovered to walk again.
As an All-American at Ohio State and All-Pro linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ryan Shazier was living his best life while excelling at the game he loves, a game that has given him so much. But then Ryan was forced to redefine success. Suddenly, it was no longer measured by tackles or sacks, but by purpose and faith.
WALKING MIRACLE is the story of this new definition of success, following the arc from December 4, 2017, when Shazier was injured playing the Cincinnati Bengals, to his retirement. For three years, Shazier doggedly pursued a return to professional football. He took small wins as “first downs” on the drive to return to the field: moving his toes, walking, dancing at his wedding, and ultimately running and returning to the team. What Shazier didn’t realize is that along the way, he was preparing himself for another purpose—that of father and husband, philanthropist, and football analyst. The journey was preparing him not for a renewed life as a middle linebacker, but a renewed life after the game.
Here we see Shazier overcome childhood alopecia, which caused a great deal of emotional pain, and scoliosis, which nearly robbed him of his dreams of playing college and professional football. We gain insights into legendary coaches Urban Meyer and Mike Tomlin. And we see him star on the field. Shazier was one of the best defensive players in Steeler history—a history full of great defensive stars.
WALKING MIRACLE—the message on a bracelet given to him by his godmother—is the story of Ryan’s comeback, but it’s also a book of life’s lessons, challenges, and a love letter to the power of positive thinking.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this extraordinary debut, former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Shazier recounts his inspiring path to recovery after being paralyzed from the waist down. Unlike other sports memoirs, Shazier's story steers clear of clichéd descriptions of his dedication to the game. Instead, he focuses on the unwavering support of his family, friends, and teammates as he leads readers through the difficult months that followed a routine tackle in 2017 that left him with a "20 percent chance of walking again." He recalls his painstaking recovery process, as he went from catching thrown teddy bears to test his reflexes to attending his team's games in a wheelchair and eventually beginning the therapy that led him to walk again. While he writes it wasn't "all inspiration and smiles," his experience fueled his desire to serve "a greater good" through a commitment to charitable work. Interspersed with thoughtful reflections on what it means to reconfigure one's life and goals, Shazier's testimony of hope and personal strength reaches its emotional pinnacle when a video of him and his wife dancing at their wedding goes viral. "Seventeen months ago... I'd been carted off the field," he writes. "Now there I was, dancing.... It was the ultimate first down." The result will score with more than just football fans.
