Brooklyn Author Pens Inspirational Sports Book

By Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company
Posted Thursday, September 11, 2008

Brooklyn, NY--Never give up! It’s not just a rallying cry but the everyday philosophy for the twenty heroic athletes chronicled in Running Through Roadblocks (Bedazzled Ink, 2008) by Jerry Del Priore. The trials and tribulations of these warrior athletes inspire and provide hope to others through sheer persistence and optimism in the face of life-changing adversity.

Del Priore seemed destined to write a book about athletes’ triumphant battles against life’s greatest challenges. “As a child growing up in Brooklyn, I always cheered harder for the athletic underdogs. I felt inspired when I learned of an athlete who triumphed over adversity. It gave me the motivation to pursue my own dreams. I felt if they could do it, heck, so could I!”

As a juvenile diabetic, Del Priore has not only triumphed over his own physical setback but has gained insight and inspiration from interviewing the athletes in Running Through Roadblocks. “Each athlete I interviewed helped me find a new appreciation for life. I believe everyone possesses an inner strength that’s waiting to be revealed. For some people, it takes a traumatic life-altering event to awaken the giant within.”

Included among the twenty amazing athletes in this book is former Detroit Lions' offensive guard Mike Utley, who didn’t give up after a collision on the football field left him paralyzed from the chest down; Molly McMaster, a colon cancer survivor, who plays women’s amateur hockey and played “men’s professional ice hockey;” and Jim Eisenreich, former MLB player, who helped the Florida Marlins capture the 1997World Series crown while living with Tourette syndrome.

In addition to aforementioned athletes, readers will also learn of Jim Kyte’s struggle to overcome his hearing impairment to become the first legally deaf hockey player to don a NHL uniform; and Christine Galan’s journey from heart and liver transplant recipient to completing the New York City Marathon.

As Del Priore puts it, “When life constructs a roadblock, lower your head and blast through the barrier that’s obstructing your path toward a happy life.”

About the Author

Jerry Del Priore is a freelance sports writer from Brooklyn, New York, who covers a variety of professional, college and high school sports for a number of print and online publications. At the age of twelve, Del Priore developed juvenile diabetes. Armed with a Bachelors of Science degree in Physical Education from Brooklyn College, Del Priore has worked with countless special needs children in a variety of recreational settings. Del Priore also volunteers his time reading to children and assisting several prominent charities with fundraising events.

For further information, please contact: Author Jerry Del Priore at JdelPri311@aol.com or 917-691-3924. Or C.A. Casey at fletchingbooks@bedazzledink.com. Also, visit http://www.bedazzledink.com/fletchingbooks/rtr.html.

Running Through Roadblocks

Jerry Del Priore

Fletching Books

Bedazzled Ink Publishing Company

ISBN: 978-1-934452-03-5; 104 pages; $8.95 US

Available through Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Borders, and bookstores everywhere.