Synopsis
This book is about a champion, Beth Sanden, her tragedy, with hopes crushed along with vertebrae, and the enormous willpower to rekindle her purpose - a story meant for us all. At 64 years old, paraplegic Beth Sanden breaks the barriers for all of us who have abandoned our dreams. One race at a time, she is changing the world for us, the able-bodied, the disabled, the warriors who are wounded, the downtrodden, the frustrated, the “detoured,” and those of us who feel our dreams have passed us by because of age or circumstance. And she’s not finished. Come along for a magnificent ride and learn how to set afire to who you are, ignite your sense of purpose, and break through to achieve what you are truly meant to do. Sometimes we find that our purpose changes as we come to a crossroads in life, whether expected, or in Beth’s case, completely unexpected. She began her triathlon and marathon racing at 44 when she was able-bodied, and became a world-class competitor by 2001. She raced in the Ironman California, and the Kona Hawaii Ironman World Championship. She raced in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon, and qualified for the 2002 Boston Marathon. But a tragic bicycle accident in April of 2002 interrupted Beth’s plans to run in Boston. As she trained for another Ironman, participating in the Guacamole Grande bike race, a 50-mile race in Temecula, California, she suffered a terrible accident, and shattered the T6-7 vertebrae in her back like glass. It stabbed her spinal cord, which then leaked spinal fluid. She underwent an eight-hour surgery. She was told she would never walk again. It’s at these times, we must have faith that as one door closes, another opens, and our challenge is to refresh and “recalibrate.” As Beth shows us over and over, we can still experience joy. It might take some time to find where it lies, but there is a kernel to cultivate somewhere. That kernel could be inside you. Beth overcame a horrific accident, hospitalization, paralysis, a dire prognosis, and relentless pain to walk again and to race. Now, using her arm strength, a cane, a walker, and a handcycle, Beth has been back in the race, back in the winner’s circle, since 2004. She goes beyond the ability of many able-bodied triathlon and marathon contenders. Since the accident in 2002, and her painful recovery from a complete paraplegic to partial use of one leg, as of this writing, Beth has competed globally in: 82 Marathons including: The North Pole Marathon 4 Boston Marathons The “Seven Continents” Marathons (Yes, marathons on each of the seven continents!) She completed the Seven Continents series by racing in Vietnam in 2016. The Great Wall of China Marathon A “Triple 7” in Africa: 7 marathons in 7 days in 7 different countries. 78 Triathlons, Sprint, and Olympic distance. In 2017, she competed in, and finished, the ultimate marathon, the challenging, life-changing North Pole Marathon, with 49 other competitors. These feats landed her in the Official World Records in 2017, and Guinness World Records in 2018. You will be astounded at the stuff she’s made of - the stuff she’s always been made of. It will become very clear to you why the path of her destiny unfolds. Her life has always had a calling. She has set the globe on fire. She is an inspirational role model for everyone. Through her racing, she has raised funds to provide the disabled worldwide with handcycles and race wheelchairs, and has written letters for grantees for prosthetic limbs. Most of her races raise funds on behalf of the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), who insures the delivery of equipment in the US and throughout the globe. Although a traumatic experience may seem like a lump of coal to you, to others who find themselves in the same or similar situation, your experience might be like gold. Like Beth, your life could be the bridge from disappointment, discouragement and detours for others, for breakthroughs to their purpose.
About the Author
Rekindle Your Purpose - Break Through Your Disappointments, Discouragements, and Detours to Resurrect Your Purpose and Live It! is author Diane Y. Chapman’s fourth book. She is an international speaker who has motivated, inspired and entertained audiences with her passionate and poignant stories about success, achievement, and living with purpose, for over 20 years. Diane enjoys bringing these stories to everyone she meets. Most recently, Di was the coauthor of How Smart People Sabotage Their Job Search: Ten Mistakes Executives Make and How to Fix Them. She was also a featured contributor to the Simple Truths’ book Customer Love. She has written more than 60 published business and health pieces. Her presence on the Internet includes business blogs as Chief Writer and Communications Officer for Power Connections, Inc., one of Southern California’s most unique executive outplacement, leadership coaching, and career transitions services. She writes for, and manages the blog for the company, editing and posting the team’s contributions, and coordinating distribution throughout social media. In addition, she has written blogs posted on numerous other sites online, including SimpleTruths.com, and The Daily Job Hunt and Ask Di, both on WordPress. Di is a respected media personality who has appeared on the radio airwaves, the Internet, and television. She has been in over 50 featured media interviews. She created the program “High Visibility: The Success Perspective,” to interview notable authors, experts, entrepreneurs, and politicians, while broadcasting in the greater Los Angeles area. This led to numerous live segments on Dr. Stephen Mason’s Look At It This Way, and in 2008 she joined the on-air team of Better Times After 50. She has been a regular guest on Anything Goes hosted by Bennet Pomerantz on Blog Talk Radio. Since moving to the Atlanta area from Orange County, California in 2011, Diane has been writing a humorist column for The Current Hub newspaper, called “Life 50+.” Now, she shares with you the passion and purpose of paraplegic Beth Sanden and her global marathons, including the 7 Continents Marathons and the North Pole Marathon. Time and again, she is the only paraplegic competitor. You will be amazed at what she’s made of. She is a lady, and a champion, with a signature smile that she flashes to everyone, everywhere. Di hopes this book will encourage you to look at your own dreams, potential, and purpose in a whole new light.
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