Pushing the Limits: Life, Marathons & Kokoda

Book excerpt: When Kurt Fearnley was a kid, he would leave his wheelechair at the front gate and go exploring with his brothers and sisters. 'You're going to have to be stronger than we are,' they told him, 'and we know you will be.' The boy from Carcoar was raised to believe he could do anything. At fifteen, he won his first medal. Then he conquered the world, winning three Paralympic gold medals, seven world championships and more than 35 marathons. A world-beater in and out of his wheelchair, Kurt is a true Australian champion. Inspiring, exhilarating and highly entertaining, Pushing the Limits takes us inside the mind of a kid with a disability growing up in a tiny town, a teenager finding his place in the world, and an elite sportsman who refuses to give up, no matter how extreme the challenge. 'Kurt Fearnley is the most inspiring figure in Australian sport, and this is a wondrous tale.' Peter FitzSimons 'There are only possibilities in Kurt's world. If you say he can't, he will.' Steve Waugh 'I love this bloke. Not only is he, in my opinion, Australia's greatest athlete, but he has such an enormous heart and zest for life. What Kurt does for the general community, and particularly for athletes with disabilities, is truly inspiring.' David Koch 'Kurt Fearnley gives life a good name.' Andrew Denton 'Aside from all the medals, accolades and achievements, in my humble opinion it is his larrikin sense of humour, positive attitude to life, never forgetting where he comes from and his belief that there is nothing he can't do that makes him a national treasure.' Layne Beachley