One More Step

February 9, 2015
Paddock, a business executive born with cerebral palsy, and journalist Bascomb (The Perfect Mile), recount the story of the former’s quest to successfully climb Mount Kilimanjaro, and later to finish the grueling Ironman race in Kona, Hawaii. Raised in Arcadia, Calif., Paddock reveals that his parents rarely discussed his disability in his presence and later divorced. His grandfather (aka Bompa) was his father figure and his “true north,” a guiding influence who taught him to swim fearlessly and instilled in his grandson a formidable sense of determination. In his late 20s, Paddock begins to speak openly about his condition, and after a friend’s young son dies of the disease the author makes it his mission to help others. He garners the support to travel to Tanzania, where he battles his demons (including his anger at his siblings and parents) and the elements on the challenging trek to the 19,340-ft. summit. Upon his return, Paddock realizes he still has further to go on his quest to raise funds and awareness for CP and meets with Ironman legend Greg Welch to embark on a year of training for the triathlon. Each step of Paddock’s journey is described in vivid and compelling detail. Readers will cheer for this extraordinary man, whose story is solid evidence that limits fall away when confronted with resolve, service, and courage.

December 15, 2014
The story of one man's ability to rise above his physical disability to achieve his dreams. When Paddock was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, cutting off vital oxygen to his brain, leaving him with a strange gait and uncoordinated limbs. However, the author didn't let his extreme clumsiness slow him down, as he was determined to keep up with his two older brothers, despite the numerous broken bones he received while trying. Even after being diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 11, Paddock continued to push himself physically, a trait that continued into adulthood. After running a half-marathon to raise money and awareness for cerebral palsy, the author's life changed radically, and he became determined to show the world that people with this condition could do as much or more than anyone else. With a couple of marathons under his belt, Paddock tackled Mount Kilimanjaro, which became as much a battle with his inner emotions as with the mountain itself. The author's prose, aided by Bascomb (The Nazi Hunters: How a Team of Spies and Survivors Captured the World's Most Notorious Nazi, 2013, etc.), places readers on the mountainside with him, enduring the endless cold, wind and altitude sickness as he pushed himself to reach the summit. "Somewhere-the hundredth switchback, the thousandth-the pain in my legs blew past anything I had ever known," writes the author. "With each step my feet and ankles sent shockwaves of agony. I wanted to cry, to sit down on a rock and weep, but that would mean giving in to the pain." But Paddock went even further and entered the Kona Triathlon, one of the hardest physical endurance races in existence. His story of training for these events and the mind-boggling pain he endured to achieve his goals will have readers crying and cheering all the way to the finish line. An emotion- and action-packed story of the author's tenacious, dogged pursuit of his goals.

COPYRIGHT(2014) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.