by Drew Buxton
First published 2026
Teddy Riggs goes by Daytona now. The former high school football hero lives in Corpus Christi, spending 1996 consuming massive amounts of food and lifting weights with single-minded purpose. He wants to become the World's Strongest Man. His oil-wealthy family has cut him off, leaving him alone with his obsession and the motivational tapes of self-help guru Pat Dupree that play constantly in his apartment. When Dupree announces a Houston seminar right before the regional qualifying competition, Teddy sees destiny calling. Then he meets Tammy, a local bodybuilder who forces him to examine the insecurities buried beneath his muscular exterior. As the seminar date approaches, Teddy must decide who he truly wants to become. Buxton delivers a comedy that skewers the self-help world while exploring how obsession, masculinity, and mental health collide in unexpected ways.
Genres: fiction, contemporary, sports, comedy
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, self-discovery
Setting: Corpus Christi, Houston
Period: 1996
224 pages · Hardcover · Hub City Press