by Stuart Scott
First published 2015
Stuart Scott opens his story with a North Carolina childhood that shaped his character and athletic drive. The future ESPN sportscaster traces his path from early broadcasting training through his breakthrough hiring at the network. Scott built a successful career covering sports until 2007, when doctors diagnosed him with appendiceal cancer, a rare and aggressive disease. The diagnosis transforms his life into a relentless cycle of surgeries, chemotherapy treatments, and hospital visits. Scott refuses to surrender his daily routines or abandon his work at ESPN. He maintains rigorous exercise programs between treatments, determined to stay strong for his teenage daughters Sydni and Taelor. Scott wants to model courage and persistence rather than simply survive as their father. His battle becomes a test of will against a disease that demands everything from him. The memoir captures Scott's philosophy that cancer cannot claim victory over someone who lives fully despite its presence. Scott completed this account shortly before his death in January 2015, creating both a personal record and a message about confronting terminal illness with determination.
Genres: memoir, non-fiction, biography-memoir, health, illness
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: overcoming-adversity, personal-growth
Setting: North Carolina
Period: 2007, 2015
298 pages · Hardcover · Blue Rider Pr
Content warnings: terminal-illness