Gymnast

The Gymnast might have been an everyman memoir: Patrick grew up hard andfast in the New York of the 1950s and 60s. He found a sport and then a careerhe was passionate about. Found love, raised a family.Except The Gymnast isnt any old coming-of-age tale. Patrickcontracted polio, and one of his legs atrophied because of it. He became theboy with the repulsive leg, as he called it, and for a long time, he didntbelieve hed have a normal life. With grit and dedication (and lots of luck),Patrick forged the life he wanted. He successfully competed on Big Ten and NCAAchampionship gymnastics teams and coached the sport at the collegiate level. Heearned a PhD with an emphasis in exercise science. After a turbulent romance, hemarried his childhood sweetheart, and they raised three children.Humorous and sad, heartwarming as much as it is heart-wrenching, TheGymnast follows a unique thread that weaves together disability, sport, andromance. Few stories talk about disabled people dealing with sex, romance,bullying, and competing successfully at the highest level of sport. Patrick mayhave grown up different, but his compelling story will resonate with everyreader.