First published 2023
Born in 1997 without legs due to caudal regression syndrome, Zion Clark enters the world facing overwhelming odds. His drug-addicted mother sits in prison while he moves through a foster care system unprepared for his needs. Home after home subjects him to abuse and neglect. Yet supportive figures emerge along his path: caring foster families who provide safety, a wrestling coach who recognizes his warrior nature, and an adoptive mother who believes in him completely. Zion discovers wrestling and transforms the sport to match his abilities. He develops devastating arm and hand strength to defeat opponents with full use of their bodies. His relentless training and unshakeable optimism carry him to elite competition in both wrestling and wheelchair racing. Collaborating with bestselling author James S. Hirsch, Zion reveals how he built strength from abandonment and victory from disadvantage. This memoir captures one athlete's refusal to accept limitations.
Genres: abuse, autobiography, biography-memoir, 21st-century, foster-children, adoption, disability, foster-parents
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: overcoming-adversity, triumph-over-tragedy
Period: 1997
241 pages · Kindle Edition · Candlewick Press
Content warnings: abuse, child-abuse