The Winning Spirit - Hardcover

Koplowitz, Zoe

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385489870 ISBN 13: 9780385489874

Publisher: Doubleday, 1997

Synopsis

The star of the New York City Marathon came in 28, 657th--not just last, but dramatically last; 27 hours and 36 minutes after beginning on the Verrazano Bridge at 6:00 am the previous morning. Zoe Koplowitz has multiple sclerosis. And for Zoe, the marathon has become a touchstone for personal triumph over adversity. The Winning Spirit: Life Lessons Learned in Last Place will be an inspirational book in which Zoe uses the marathon as a metaphor for telling the stories she has learned from living triumphantly with multiple sclerosis: the importance of self-acceptance, following your dreams, courage in the face of adversity, excelling despite perceived limitations and the beauty of unconditional love. It will include stories of the people who have helped her: Guardian Angels, the Achilles Track Club, gang members of the Bronx who call ahead each year to ensure her safe passage. The Winning Spirit will show readers how to tap into the magic and strength inside them. As Zoe writes," There is nothing particularly special about me, except that I'm a reminder that nothing in life is impossible. If I can do something undoable, others can too. And if I represent anything to people, it's as the keeper of the dream. I'm the human post-it note you stick to your refrigerator to remind yourself, "You can do this!"

About this title

From the Inside Flap

the New York City Marathon came in 28, 657th--not just last, but dramatically last; 27 hours and 36 minutes after beginning on the Verrazano Bridge at 6:00 am the previous morning. Zoe Koplowitz has multiple sclerosis. And for Zoe, the marathon has become a touchstone for personal triumph over adversity. The Winning Spirit: Life Lessons Learned in Last Place will be an inspirational book in which Zoe uses the marathon as a metaphor for telling the stories she has learned from living triumphantly with multiple sclerosis: the importance of self-acceptance, following your dreams, courage in the face of adversity, excelling despite perceived limitations and the beauty of unconditional love. It will include stories of the people who have helped her: Guardian Angels, the Achilles Track Club, gang members of the Bronx who call ahead each year to ensure her safe passage. The Winning Spirit will show readers how to tap into the magic and strength inside them. As Zoe writes," Ther

Reviews

Koplowitz, who is now 48, uses crutches owing to multiple sclerosis (MS), contracted at age 25, but she still finished the 1996 New York City Marathon in 27 hours and 36 minutes. Her goal was not to finish first but to finish. She has written this book to share how she chose to use her illness as a motivator rather than an excuse, learning to use MS as a challenge to stretch the boundaries others would set for her. She spends a great deal of time working with young people and writes in a conversational style that will appeal them. With its emphasis on finding pleasure in living fully, this is a book for all age groups. Readers interested in detailed medical information about MS should look elsewhere, but those wanting inspiration and hope will want to share in Koplowitz's adventures; her life speaks for itself as an example to others of what can be achieved when one dares to try. Worthy of purchase by all high school and public libraries.?Catherine T. Charvat, John Marshall Lib., Alexandria, Va.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Doubleday
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0385489870
• ISBN 13: 9780385489874
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240