“My struggles after losing everything I had were the genesis of this book. I’d gone along laughing, playing, and hammering through the straits at full speed, but my ship hit an iceberg in 2005. Listing and tilting, that ship sank five years later. All that remained was a tiny lifeboat packed with a few basic provisions, floating towards no particular island. I had no choice but to rebuild my life from the inside out. Being awarded an Olympic Gold medal in Seoul, South Korea, in 1988 had been rewarding, exhilarating, and defining, but my destructive choices in the years that followed pushed me into a profound transformation. I had to address mental, emotional, physical, and energetic issues in order to heal. Finally, what emerged was a breakthrough into a forgotten fifth realm — the Heart. My story, presented here in Life, The Spiritual Sport, is a tale where metaphor and manifesto are woven and quilted. The journey culminates in “Platform 14,” a guide to living in balance, enacting change, and maximizing performance. At the heart of all matter is the evolving art of crafting our own happiness and Joy.” – Jon Root
