One more step

de Bonner Paddock

Ln 2008, Bonner Paddock summited Mount Kilimanjaro. Four years later, he earned the triathlete title Kona Ironman. Thousands have done each individually; Bonner is the first person with cerebral palsy to do both. Bonner grew up just wanting to be ordinary. Despite his skinny legs and habit of tripping over nothing, he fought to keep up with his athletic older brothers and did everything he could to feel like a regular kid, even when it became clear he wasn't. After being diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age eleven, Bonner didn't let it limit him---instead he simply ignored its existence. For the next eighteen years, he guarded the truth about his health, building a normal life and keeping his secret from everyone. But the sudden death of a friend's young son Jake, who also suffered from cerebral palsy, forced Bonner to reevaluate who he was. No longer content striving for normal, he began to pursue one breathtaking experience after another in Jake's memory and, in the process, raising international awareness about cerebral palsy. Embracing his weaknesses to understand his strengths, he pursued the ultimate adventure: the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii, a race regarded by many as the hardest on earth. Along the way he forged a renewed bond with his family and launched a foundation to help disabled children in Africa and at home. This is a story of perseverance that demonstrates how our lives are not defined by limits, but by the moments and lessons that push us past them.--Adapted from book jacket.