Personal Best: Ten Lessons to Help You Achieve Your True Potential

FROM MARC WOODS

"I love to read and listen to inspirational stories, but sometimes it is difficult to apply any of their content to your own life. In writing Personal Best I wanted to share my life experiences, to relate how I dealt with, and overcame, the different challenges that I faced and then went on to achieve success. But, more importantly, I wanted to do it in a way that might be useful to others.

In beating cancer as a teenager, I may have lost a leg, but I gained a new respect for life and a second chance. My experience taught me to approach life in a different way. It taught me to measure myself against my potential and not against others. It taught me about personal responsibility. It taught me that life is about being the best person you can be.

If you are lucky, life teaches you what you don't learn at school. I’ve been very lucky. I’ve learnt some tough, but invaluable lessons about life on my journey. I’d like to share those lessons with you."

"Personal Best is a truly inspirational book, written with great honesty, compassion and humility. Marc's ability to overcome adversity and triumph in so many diverse areas is an example to us all. His immense sporting achievements and his work on behalf of the Teenage Cancer Trust is unequalled and his indomitable spirit shines through."
—Sarah, the Duchess of York

"Marc has a remarkable story and is an absolute inspiration."
—Roger Daltrey

Marc Woods had his left leg amputated because of bone cancer when he was seventeen. The day after he had his stitches out he went swimming and within a year he was swimming quicker with one leg then he did when he had two. His dream was to simply be the best that he could be and just 18 months after he finished his chemotherapy he was selected to represent Great Britain. He has achieved great success in his field winning 34 medals; 8 Gold, 18 Silver and 8 Bronze.
Following his retirement from competitive swimming in 2004, Marc is now a key note speaker on the corporate speaking circuit. He has presented his speeches to many FTSE and Fortune 500 companies including IBM, VISA International, Barclays and BP.