The Power in Living Life One Step at a TIme
BY JOHNNY AGAR, BECKI AGAR
“Johnny Agar is a true inspiration as a person and an athlete. Where most might see nothing but obstacles, he sees nothing but opportunities. Johnny’s commitment to pursuing his dreams and sharing his journey along the way is a tremendous gift to us all.”
—Michael Phelps, most decorated Olympian in history
An incredible story of Johnny Agar, born with cerebral palsy and whom doctors thought would never walk, overcoming the odds to compete in Ironman triathlons. Featured on ESPN, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, and other media outlets, Johnny delivers a moving memoir that is a testament to the power of family, faith, and extraordinary courage.
In The Impossible Mile, told with candor and lightened with humor, Johnny shows what is possible time and time again. His story starts in a Michigan hospital, where he is born eleven weeks premature. An ultrasound reveals bleeding on his brain, and he is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition that hinders a person’s ability to control muscle movement. Doctors say he will likely have intellectual disabilities and that he will never walk. Despite the pending challenges, Johnny’s parents choose to raise their firstborn without limitations on his abilities. This decision would forever shape Johnny’s life, his enduring belief in himself and his dreams.
Growing up, Johnny aspires to be an athlete like his father, Jeff, once a professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers organization. Sports was in the young boy’s blood. But how could he become an athlete? He can’t walk unassisted, and his muscles have a mind of their own. To give Johnny a taste of competition, the father and son start participating in 5K road races, Jeff pushing Johnny in a modified wheelchair.
Until one day Johnny has a bold idea. He will chase his dream—literally—of becoming an athlete by walking part of a race. More than just the few steps he has taken in therapy, he decides that to truly become an athlete he needs to go further. Assisted by his father, Johnny trains for his first impossible mile. What he doesn’t know is that his bold idea will do more than change just his life forever.
Johnny’s story shows the impact of a life lived to its fullest, from the first difficult steps in training, to becoming a brand ambassador for global apparel company Under Armour. He now serves as an inspiration for not only other professional athletes, but for anyone facing their own impossible mile. Come walk a mile in Johnny’s shoes, and realize, as Johnny did, you never walk alone, and anything is possible, if you’ll just take on life one step at a time.
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Product Details
- Publisher: Dexterity (September 21, 2021)
- Length: 272 pages
- ISBN: 9781947297371 (Jacketed Hardcover)
- ISBN: 9781947297388 (eBook)
- ISBN: 9781947297395 (Audiobook)
Browse Related Books
- Nonfiction > Biography & Memoir > Sports
About the Author
Johnny Agar gained international attention when he walked a mile in his church’s annual 5K. That sounds like an odd reason for fame, except for the reality of Johnny’s severe cerebral palsy. Even with a lifetime of physical therapy before this race, the longest distance he’d ever previously walked was twenty-three steps.
Since that incredible feat, Johnny and his father Jeff have partnered in countless races, including the infamous Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, which was chronicled by NBC. Johnny has been featured on The Today Show, Inside Edition, NBC Nightly News, People, USA Today, Huffington Post, and ESPN’s Sportscenter. His tenacity and indelible spirit have inspired numerous professional and Olympic athletes, and Johnny is a Brand Ambassador for the sports apparel company Under Armour. Even so, he will tell you that his crowning accomplishment was getting post-race recognition from his biggest sponsor in the form of twenty-gallons of his favorite Meijer ice cream.
Now Johnny gives motivational speeches to inspire others to overcome their challenges and chase their dreams, one step at a time. Among his other roles, Johnny serves as the Athletic Ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation, and he’s proud to have earned a dual major in Sports Management and Business Administration from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Impossible Mile is Johnny’s first book.
BECKI AGAR is an advocate, philanthropist, and mother of three children. After beginning a career as a credit analyst, Becki’s passion for children led her to open a daycare. When she had children of her own, she closed the daycare to raise them, an experience that has been the greatest blessing of her life.
Becki currently fundraises and advocates for organizations that have been instrumental in helping children who have special needs to be as independent as possible on their journeys through life. She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Sociology and a minor in Psychology. The Impossible Mile is Becki’s first book.
Reviews and Endorsements
“Johnny Agar is a true inspiration as a person and an athlete. Where most might see nothing but obstacles, he sees nothing but opportunities. Johnny’s commitment to pursuing his dreams and sharing his journey along the way is a tremendous gift to us all.”
—Michael Phelps, most decorated Olympian in history
“God’s vantage point is so far above ours. He doesn’t just look at the present. He sees way beyond the tomorrow. Jeff and Becki believed in the perfect plan God had for their son and trusted that Johnny’s disability would inspire and challenge so many people. Romans 8:28 comes to mind as a display of God’s sovereignty through Johnny’s story. If we walk by faith and remember that God is greater than any obstacle we face, He can help us all overcome our own impossible mile. I was encouraged by Johnny’s story, and I hope you will be, too.”
—Tim Tebow, NFL player, New York Times best-selling author, and winner of the Heisman Trophy
“Johnny Agar’s life is a story of perseverance and showing that you can accomplish anything with will and determination. More than anything, he has proven throughout his life that you can come through when you need to come through, no matter what life throws at you.”
—Tom Izzo, head coach for men’s basketball at Michigan State University Spartans
“Reading The Impossible Mile has impacted my thought process regarding my approach to coaching. It has renewed my spirit and drive, and I want to use Johnny’s story as a platform to facilitate teamwork and perseverance in my coaching.”
—Patrick Sullivan, director of recruitment for men’s basketball at the University of North Carolina Tar Heels
“When Johnny participated in DATEV Challenge Roth in Roth, Germany . . . he helped transform the way people view those with disabilities. When we overheard a young girl look up to her mother and say, ‘I didn’t know people in wheelchairs could be athletes!’ we knew Johnny’s participation was going to change lives. We can only imagine how The Impossible Mile will impact many more toward a positive change.”
—Zibi Szlufcik, president of the board for Challenge Family triathlons
“The Impossible Mile is a compelling testimony to the power a positive attitude has on achieving the goals you set out for yourself.”
—Dave Haffner, former CEO and chair of Leggett & Platt
“The Impossible Mile is a gift to all of us because it reminds us that no dream is ever out of reach. With so many people saying you can’t, Johnny Agar said, ‘I will!’”
—Jim “the Rookie” Morris, relief pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, inspiration behind Disney’s The Rookie, author of The Rookie and Dream Makers
“Johnny Agar is a true testament to what Ironman represents— defying the odds and proving that ‘Anything is Possible’ with each step he takes! Johnny displays determination and courage, and his story is an inspirational example to never lose sight of your personal finish line.”
—Andrew Messick, president and chief executive officer for The Ironman Group
“Upon receiving the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, my dad remarked, ‘The greatest defeat of all would be to live without courage, for that would hardly be living at all.’ This book was a great reminder for us all to take that courageous first step. When the goal seems overwhelming, it is the strength of the human spirit, our determination, and our resilience that propel us forward. Johnny Agar is proof of that!”
—Michael Ford, son of President Gerald R. Ford and Mrs. Betty Ford
