Defiant: A Broken Body Is Not a Broken Person

by Janine Shepherd

Overview

“As I looked back over the landscape of my life, and the many setbacks I had endured, I saw that every loss also offered a gift, even if I didn’t recognize it at the time. Whenever I was called upon to loosen my grip on some cherished part of my life, I was consequently given the opportunity to start again, to create anew something of value . . . every ending carried the seeds of possibility, a chance to start over.” —Janine Shepherd
 
Defiant chronicles the remarkable life of Janine Shepherd, an elite ski racer whose bid to represent Australia in the Olympics was cut short by a tragic accident. She recalls the ten days she hovered between life and death, faced with the difficult choice to let go or return to a body that would never be whole again. After six months in hospital battling to rehabilitate her permanent disabilities, she not only taught herself to walk again—she earned her wings as both a pilot and an aerobatics instructor.

Happily married and raising three children, her life was again upended when she was forced to face a painful divorce, the loss of her home, and financial ruin. Undaunted, Janine persevered in managing her again-reinvented life as a single mom, as well as celebrated author and international speaker.

Janine Shepherd shares with candor and compassion the practical lessons she has learned throughout her continuing journey. Defiant offers hope and encouragement for anyone facing a life challenge, sharing the author’s hard-won wisdom and priceless advice for navigating one’s way from loss to healing.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781622037100
Publisher:	Sounds True, Incorporated
Publication date:	11/01/2016
Pages:	216
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Janine Shepherd is a renowned inspirational speaker and writer whose books have become classics in the survivor genre. She is an ambassador of SpinalCure Australia and Red Bull’s “Wings for Life,” and a contributor to Deepak Chopra’s workshops. Janine’s TEDx talk has been viewed by millions worldwide, and her story has been featured on 60 Minutes as well in the film Never Tell Me Never. She lives in Wyoming, USA. For more, visit janineshepherd.com.

Editorial Reviews

“Unexpected tragedy brings the author face to face with death and the destruction of the only future she ever dreamed of. From there, we join her in a great adventure and an unforgettable spiritual ride that inspires and amazes.”
—Harriet Lerner, PhD, author of The Dance of Anger

“Defiant asks the soulful question: ‘What are you going to do with your one precious human life?’ Janine beautifully answers by sharing her remarkable story of courage, spiritual intelligence, and determination. If despair dogs your every step, pick up this book. It will become your guide for living with openhearted possibility!”
—Jono Fisher, founder, WakeUpProject.com
 
"This wonderful book is a great ride from under a truck to up into the skies. Janine shows us how to defy the voices that warn us about our limits, no matter how well-meaning, and to go for more than we ever dared hope for."
—David Richo, PhD, MFT, author of You Are Not What You Think: The Egoless Path to Self-Esteem and Generous Love (Shambhala, 2015)

"An athlete's memoir about her ability to overcome personal tragedy and reinvent her life.In 1986, Shepherd (On My Own Two Feet, 2007, etc.), a cross-country skier who was expected to represent her native Australia in the 1988 Olympics, was out on a bike ride with friends when a truck hit her. Her body was crushed: broken back and neck, five broken ribs, broken bones in her feet, contusions to her kidneys, hip and leg muscles torn from bones, extensive lacerations, and massive internal bleeding. Initially, her doctors weren't sure she'd survive....Shepherd shares how she spent the next six months in the hospital and in rehab, undergoing treatments and surgeries for her injuries, which left her with permanent disabilities that wiped out any chance of returning to elite athlete status. She tried returning to college but eventually found a new direction for her life in learning how to fly. She explains how she tackled the task of getting her pilot's license, using the same intensity of concentration and will she had used to train for competitive skiing events. From there, the memoir makes some rapid leaps in time as Shepherd chronicles her involvement with a fellow pilot; the births of her children; writing a book about her accident, which was made into a movie; becoming a TED talk speaker; and the dissolution of her marriage."
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2016-08-10
An athlete's memoir about her ability to overcome personal tragedy and reinvent her life.In 1986, Shepherd (On My Own Two Feet, 2007, etc.), a cross-country skier who was expected to represent her native Australia in the 1988 Olympics, was out on a bike ride with friends when a truck hit her. Her body was crushed: broken back and neck, five broken ribs, broken bones in her feet, contusions to her kidneys, hip and leg muscles torn from bones, extensive lacerations, and massive internal bleeding. Initially, her doctors weren't sure she'd survive. In lengthy detail, Shepherd shares how she spent the next six months in the hospital and in rehab, undergoing treatments and surgeries for her injuries, which left her with permanent disabilities that wiped out any chance of returning to elite athlete status. She tried returning to college but eventually found a new direction for her life in learning how to fly. She explains how she tackled the task of getting her pilot's license, using the same intensity of concentration and will she had used to train for competitive skiing events. From there, the memoir makes some rapid leaps in time as Shepherd chronicles her involvement with a fellow pilot; the births of her children; writing a book about her accident, which was made into a movie; becoming a TED talk speaker; and the dissolution of her marriage. The author places great emphasis on the first few years immediately following the accident that so drastically changed the trajectory of her life, but much of the material is similar to what she already chronicled in previous memoirs. Shepherd’s tenacity and determination are evident throughout the book, and her recovery is remarkable, but the narrative could have used more depth and introspection. An inspirational but thin account of an athlete's tragic accident and the long road she traveled to reach a different kind of fulfilling life.

Kirkus Reviews