Author Interview: Tricia Downing
Book Title: Cycle of Hope-A Journey from Paralysis to Possibility
Website URL: www.trishdowning.com
Social Media Links:
www.facebook.com/redefiningable
www.twitter.com/redefiningable
http://www.youtube.com/user/redefiningable
What is your book about?
My book chronicles a ten-year segment in my life where I went from competitive cyclist to paraplegic and back to competitive athlete again. It is a tragedy to triumph story that inspires readers to consider their own possibilities.
What inspired you to write your book?
I’ve been asked many times to share my story and to teach people how to overcome their own difficulties. I felt it was time that I write the book as a way to acknowledge to myself how far I have come despite my difficulties and to share the journey with others.
Can you describe a typical day in your life?
Every day is different for me. The things I can count on in a day are a workout, a few hours in the office and spending time with my husband and my cat. Beyond that, I never know what’s going to happen. I enjoy sharing my story as a motivational speaker, am also the director of a camp for women in wheelchairs and am working on more book projects. So no matter what the day includes, I keep myself busy!
What do you most enjoy about what you do?
I get to share a message of hope with other people and get to do a variety of things that I love.
Are there any people and/or books that have inspired you along your journey?
The people who inspire me the most are written about in my memoir. They are the people who encouraged and helped me get to where I am today. I had a lot of difficult days after getting hit by a car and paralyzed from the chest down. I couldn’t have gotten through it without the support of so many people. They are really the heroes of my life.
Can you share some of your best advice for our readers?
My best advice is to see major life changes as an opportunity to reinvent yourself and to come back even better in the end. Sometimes when we are in the middle of a difficult situation it’s easy to just sit there and feel sorry for ourselves or look back at what was or what could have been. But the real trick is to look forward, see what you can learn and go on to achieve even greater things.
What’s next for you?
I have so many plans for myself, I could list them all day. I have a couple of other books I feel I need to write. I also hope to grow my camp and build to a strong finish of my athletic career (I can’t race forever!). I enjoy speaking and hope to motivate so many more audiences to be the best they can be.
How did Authority Publishing help you with your author journey?
Authority Publishing helped me every step of the way. Once I had my manuscript done, they coached me through the process of getting it off of my computer and ready to sell. They helped set timelines and goals, and made sure that I had the best product possible. The process was simple, seamless, and fun. It made me feel like I had accomplished so much when the box of books finally arrived on my doorstep.
