Twenty-five years old, fresh out of college, Paul Martin's life took a major turn. In 1992, as a result of a car accident, Martin's left leg was amputated five inches below the knee. His future plans hadn't included a prosthetic leg. But after returning to his workout routine, Martin realized he was destined to be a disabled athlete. In this, his second memoir, Martin's story takes up where One Man's Leg left off. He narrates the events of his life on the race course during the eight years and reveals what his life as a competitive triathlete, runner, and cyclist has been like. Drinking from My Leg details a host of accomplishments, including the completion of ten Ironman Triathlons and the raising of the flag after he won the Disabled Cycling World Championships in 2002. Engaging and written with a sense of humor, Drinking from My Leg serves as an inspiration for others who face challenges. Martin shows that optimism is the key to winning the battle.
This particular Paul Martin--there are many men by that name and quite a number of authors also--was born in 1967 and raised primarily in Gardner, Massachusetts, a smallish blue-collar city in the North Central part of the state.
His high school English teacher told him after reading his first book, One Man's Leg, "I always told you you were a good writer."
"Then why'd you give me a D Junior year?" Paul asked.
"I never said you were a good student," she replied.
That poor grade came about the time Paul put himself in a foster home in search of a more peaceful existence. He found his groove soon after, earned an engineering degree from the University of Massachusetts at Lowell and lost his leg in a car accident six months later.
That's when he really took off. Paul saw not the loss of a leg but of an opportunity to pursue sports with a vigor he hadn't possessed since middle school. He has since completed 10 Ironman triathlons--setting the world record for leg amputees in the process, has won Paralympic cycling medals and spreads his message of optimism and work ethic whenever he's given the stage.
One Man's Leg was deemed "Irresistible" by the USAToday and his second book, Drinking From My Leg: Lessons from a Blistered Optimist--a celebration of physical abilities, psychological doggedness and spiritual clarity--reached #1 on Amazon in both Sports and Biographies.
He lives in Colorado with his wife, Dr Sharon Wetherall, and three sons, Jack, Luke, and Baby Jaguar...that last one is still in the womb as of this writing.
