Reviews:
"Rarely has there been an athletic comeback story as compelling as that of Hermann Maier… Maier's book take a place on the shelf with the best skier biographies, a rarity in a sport that, in America, lives in the margins." —Boston Globe
"Great insight into a comeback we only thought we understood." —Steve Porino, NBC Olympic race announcer
"This is the book I was waiting for: A gutsy, honest, straightforward read about one of the best skiers of all time. Hermann is ample proof that there is always hope and his book is destined to be a skiing classic. It's an exciting and captivating read." —Peter Graves, Olympic and World Cup race announcer
From the Press:
"A tale of mental toughness and recovery." —Vail Daily
"What is truly illuminating about the Herminator's story is that it's a warts-and-all tale. It's not like Maier always knew he'd make it back. It's not like he never got frustrated and behaved selfishly or rudely. Like any human who has his livelihood suddenly snatched away from him, Maier at times lashed out, threw things in anger and wanted to give up. And then he went back to work with the determination of a champion." —Dallas Morning News
"An open diary of Maier’s ski career… This book is a lesson in life." —SportsFeatures.com
From the Back Cover:
"BACK FROM THE DEAD." That’s what the ski world said when Hermann Maier returned triumphantly to the high mountains of the prestigious World Cup circuit. Austria’s larger-than-life hero had indeed made a Lazarus-like recovery from a crippling injury that most thought would end his career.
But Maier has always defied convention. In a country where skiers are selected at a young age for stardom, Maier had a late and unlikely debut. In a sport with strict rules, Maier set his own schedule. And in an athletic pursuit full of risk, Maier found his biggest challenge far from the slopes.
In 2001, Maier—Olympic gold medalist, multiple World Cup titleholder, and symbolic leader of Austria’s powerful ski squad—stood as a giant in the ski world. That summer, however, the "Herminator’s" championship reign came to a frightening halt in a near-fatal motorcycle accident. His right leg was shattered, and in the dark days that followed, doctors feared that Maier would never ski again.
Yet it was at this low point that Hermann Maier’s astonishing story truly begins. With the same tenacity that marked his aggressive skiing style, Maier fought back—first simply to walk, then to run, and then to ski. In the end, he not only found his way to the podium again, but seized another World Cup overall title in 2004, his fourth to date.
Hermann Maier: The Race of My Life is a shocking, gripping, and ultimately inspiring autobiography from one of sport’s most electric figures.
