Iron Will: An Amputee’s Journey to Athletic Excellence

In this inspiring autobiography, Sewell recounts his arc from undergoing double above-the-knee leg amputations to becoming a nationally renowned athlete. Sewell was born in 1992 San Diego without tibias in either of his legs, prompting his mother to have the limbs removed and Sewell fitted with prosthetics before he turned two. In school, the author faced vicious bullying and halting physical adjustment to his prosthetics. The cost of the technology, too, posed problems, eventually leaving him and his mother homeless. When Sewell was eight, he and his mother bumped into a woman outside the shelter where they were living who ran a program for young disabled athletes, and Sewell started training in basketball. After Sewell and his mother relocated to Alabama in 2004, they connected with coaches from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, who helped him start running. From there, Sewell matter-of-factly recounts his myriad athletic achievements and the sometimes-joyous, sometimes-grueling training as a runner and swimmer that quickly became the main focus of his life. By 2019, he had become the first above-the-knee double amputee to complete the Ironman Triathlon, and had represented the U.S. on three national swimming teams. Stirring, straightforward, and occasionally tear-jerking, this athletic underdog story is about as uplifting as it gets. Agent: Ian Kleinert, Paradigm Agency. (Aug.)