The Quest: On the Path to Knowledge and Wisdom

When Will Freeman sets off with his twelve-year-old son on a cross-country motorcycle adventure, he thought he knew exactly where the road would take them: California. At least, that was the destination he had planned.

But then they stop in Denver for a night and wind up seeing The Horse Whisperer at the movie theater. Unexpectedly, Freeman and his son both feel drawn to ride north instead of west.

Their road, they will soon learn, leads to Wyoming. It is there that they encounter Great Thunder, a Native American shaman. He was expecting their arrival.

Over the next several days, Freeman takes on the role of student and absorbs the teachings of Great Thunder, listening to his mentor’s wise stories about intuition, integrity, dreams, and nature. He learns about simplifying one’s life and what it means to experience a spiritual life that is bigger than any one religion.

But this experience is just the beginning of Freeman’s unexpected journey. The Quest goes on to describe a vision quest he embarks on three years later in the solitary wilderness of northern New Mexico, as well as a follow-up bike trip to Wyoming, where he seeks out more life lessons from Great Thunder.

"Few are the books that teach us in a brief empowering read a path to discovering the wisdom we search a lifetime to find. Fewer are the books that challenge and enlighten us as they take us on a journey to the center of our soul. The Quest is such a book." - Billy Mills, Olympic 10k Champion"I would be the first to recommend this book as required reading for all teachers, coaches, parents, and professional leaders. I read it three times!" - Dr. Joe Vigil, U.S. Olympic Coach"I just finished the Quest. Wow! It is truly beautiful. An intense journey of the heart!" -Leslie Goldstein, College Administrator

Will Freeman is an highly-successful college coach and a popular professor of sport psychology and sport sociology. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and a master's in biomechanics from Indiana University, and he is currently working on his doctorate in sport psychology at the University of Iowa.

As a successful college athlete, Freeman had success as a pole-vaulter, including winning the SEC championship five times and being a finalist at the US Olympic Trials. For the past thirty-four years, he's used his expertise to teach, coach, and mentor track and field and cross country athletes at Grinnell College, where he also teaches.

Known as a teacher of coaches, Freeman has written, performed, and produced nineteen top-selling coaching DVDs for high school and college track coaches, and written or co-written 4 books. He has also trained athletes and coaches in Africa, China, Canada, and the Bahamas.

Freeman and his wife, who is also a college coach, are the proud parents of three children.