The Winning Spirit

The star of the New York City Marathon came in 28, 657th--not just last, but dramatically last; 27 hours and 36 minutes after beginning on the Verrazano Bridge at 6:00 am the previous morning. Zoe Koplowitz has multiple sclerosis. And for Zoe, the marathon has become a touchstone for personal triumph over adversity. The Winning Spirit: Life Lessons Learned in Last Place will be an inspirational book in which Zoe uses the marathon as a metaphor for telling the stories she has learned from living triumphantly with multiple sclerosis: the importance of self-acceptance, following your dreams, courage in the face of adversity, excelling despite perceived limitations and the beauty of unconditional love. It will include stories of the people who have helped her: Guardian Angels, the Achilles Track Club, gang members of the Bronx who call ahead each year to ensure her safe passage. The Winning Spirit will show readers how to tap into the magic and strength inside them. As Zoe writes," There is nothing particularly special about me, except that I'm a reminder that nothing in life is impossible. If I can do something undoable, others can too. And if I represent anything to people, it's as the keeper of the dream. I'm the human post-it note you stick to your refrigerator to remind yourself, "You can do this!"