Travis Roy

travis royTravis Roy, a young hopeful in the world of hockey, finally realized his lifelong dream – only to see it turn, in an instant, into an unexpected nightmare. Yet for Travis another, even more unanticipated, saga was about to begin. That story, a drama of courage, determination, and the power of love, would open up an astonishing new life for one extraordinary young man – and touch the hearts of millions.

Travis_smallEleven seconds was all it took. Eleven seconds to stop cold a shining career scarcely before it had take off on the ice. Travis Roy was a promising 20-year-old hockey star. Then moments into his first collegiate game as a Boston University freshman, a freak accident drove Travis into the boards. A cracked fourth vertebra left him paralyzed from the neck down.

That fateful October night in 1995 signaled the death of one dream – but also the eventual rebirth of a special kind of hope. For, though imprisoned for months in a hospital bed, then confined to a wheelchair, Travis gradually found the grit and the will to reclaim for himself a fulfilling and productive life.

From the very start of his ordeal, Travis enjoyed the support of a close-knit family; a legion of friends; his coach, Jack Parker; and his girlfriend Maija, who, despite the crippling effects of his injury never wavered in her devotion to his recovery and well-being. Ultimately, as his struggle became national news, an entire country became his fan club – cheering him on as he adjusted to daily life and rooting for him when he established the Travis Roy Foundation, which is dedicated to research and one-on-one assistance for spinal injury cases.

eleven seconds(Travis Roy’s story) is a story about America’s love affair with sports and the people who embrace its never-die spirit. Most of all, it is the story of one young man who surrendered to no limits and defied all odds, both before and after the tragedy that ended his game. –E.M. Swift in Eleven Seconds

Take a look inside Travis Roy’s book, Eleven Seconds, with excerpts from Amazon.com