Will to Win

by Keith J. Karren

On July 6, 1970 a lanky sixteen year old Idaho farmboy lost his legs in a tragic electrical accident, and his dreams of becoming a great athlete were shattered. But this even changed his life beyond his dreams... The Will to Win is the fascinating story of Curt Brinkman's Incredible journey back to become a winning athlete in his own right. Its a story of tremendous faith. courage, and determination to beat impossible odds. No one would have guessed that a few years later, Curt Brinkman now acclaimed as the "Rocky" of wheelchair athletes, would win the prestigious Boston Marathon in record time and make sports history, then go on to win four gold medals in the international Para-Olympics in Holland the same year.

170 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit]

I believe I read this book in the late 80s or early 90s. It always stuck with me because I was so amazed at what Curt was able to accomplish after losing his legs. I just came across a similar book on NetGalley that made me think of this one, and I had to do some sleuthing because I couldn’t remember his name (Craig was actually the name that came to mind). Anyway, there’s no cover picture here on Goodreads, so I can’t be 100% sure that this is the same book I read all those years ago…but I’m 98% sure. 😄

On a sad note, when I found the correct name, I unfortunately came across Curt’s obituary. He was the same age as my parents, but he passed away in 2010, in his late fifties. I was saddened to find out that he died relatively young. Still, look at everything he did with those few decades!!

If you like reading about people recovering from tragedy and persevering despite innumerable obstacles, this book is a great place to start. Heck, even if you wouldn’t typically read this genre, give it a shot. It’s a pretty astonishing story that will motivate you to go out and do better. This was probably the first book I read in the memoir/survival category, and it’s been a profound influence on my love of the genre and reading in general.

Rest in peace, Curt—you’ll always be an inspiration to me.

[Lorien Brinkman-Bouche]

My daddy!... My hero!!

[Ellen]

My big brother, I am so proud.

[Parker Larsen]

The Will To Win by Keith J. Karren is about a guy named Curt Brinkman and one day something terrible happens. He gets his legs blasted off by electricity and he loses both of his legs. And then it tells about how his life goes after that. I liked this book because it was fun to read and it had a good theme to it. I also liked it because it was a quick book to read because it flowed so great. One thing that I didn't like is that it was kind of graphic when his legs go blown off but it okay. I think this book has lots of themes. One of them is never let anything get in your way. Another theme is if you ever have a trail in life that is really hard to get out of then just keep pushing and you'll get through. And the last theme of the book is that if you want something go after it and get it. My favorite part of this book is the part is when his is in the hospital. Its just really funny. I say I would rate this book a ten out of ten. It was such a good book.

[Cathy]

What an amazing story of overcoming a terrible accident and leading an incredible life.

[Sara]

What an inspiring life!

[Daniel]

An amazingly inspirational story of a young man with the "Will to Win".

[Erika]

The experience and the way he overcame it is noteworthy and admirable, but the writing of this book was terrible. The part where he and his friends in the hospital objectified the nurses made me want to gag. Not funny. People make mistakes, especially when they're young, but including it in a book is something that an editor should have warned you about (though it was evident no editor was involved in the making of this book).