Overview

Just Keep Swimming: a crash, a quest, and waves of hope tells the true story of a mom's crisis, a daughter's paralysis, and incredible travels that carry them from a small town in Ohio to Harvard, Capitol Hill, and around the world. After a car accident, a heartsick mom battles depression and guilt while a shy but determined teenager fights the harsh physical challenges of quadriplegia. Fourteen-year-old Beth believes everything will be okay. Cindy feels sure that nothing will ever be okay again. Together they embark on an extraordinary journey of change and reinvention to create a new normal. Cindy and Beth find joy in unlikely adventures-riding the wave to the end of an era that leaves them transformed. As Beth knew the night of the accident, everything really is okay. Hope is an incredibly powerful thing. And if you never give up? Hope wins.

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9781956450545

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Reviews

In the wake of any tragedy, it's tempting to ask Why? But Cindy and Beth chose instead to ask How? With unflinching honestly, Cindy offers readers both an intimate look at the answers that she and Beth found AND a universal roadmap for navigating adversity. This is a beautifully written book! JEFF BELL, Author of When in Doubt, Make Belief, Founder of the Adversity 2 Advocacy Alliance Just Keep Swimming is a fantastic story of achievement and success in the midst of seemingly insurmountable challenges. I'm honored to know Cindy and Beth personally and to have shared in some small part of Beth's swimming career. I can't recommend this book enough! JULIE DUSSLIERE, Chief of Paralympic Sport, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee This is a remarkably honest and important book. Cindy doesn't sugarcoat or maximize her daughter's struggle with disability or her own battles with guilt and depression. Cindy is not a 'victim;' her daughter is not a 'super-heroine.' This is an honest account of how they both move forward to create successful lives not defined by tragedy or disability. THEA FLAUM, President of the Hill Foundation and Founder of Facing Disability The relationship between Cindy and her daughter Beth is a celebration of motherhood and the healing power of love. Their incredible challenges and adventures inspire readers to be the best they can be. You'll be glad you read this book! APRIL PERRY, Founder of Power of Moms Cindy's story grabs you by the heart and holds on tight. It is a story of grace and forgiveness. Even as Beth inspires and motivates people living with the injury, Cindy keeps it real for the moms and families learning to live a joyful life beyond our broken hearts. DEBBIE FLYNN, Founder of the QUAD Foundation We can live without many things but living without hope is damn near impossible. Cindy and Beth's story reminds us that no matter the circumstances or diagnosis, with hope and love, joy is possible, and life is worth living. TERRY McGUIRE, Founder of Giving Voice to Depression I've learned more about life and what it takes to be successful from Beth Kolbe than she ever learned from me, her swimming coach. Beth's story is one of tragedy, but her potential and upward trajectory never wavered. I found her tenacity, her resourcefulness, and her bond with her family stronger than anyone before. If you want to see what a mother and daughter's love for life can accomplish, this book is a must read. PEGGY EWALD, Coach and Education Consultant for U.S. Paralympics Swimming Just Keep Swimming is a breathtaking story of grit and the power of possibility. Cindy presents her story with an impressive level of vulnerability and determination. This book is a must read on how we can all better serve as champions to help people realize their full potential. Just Keep Swimming changed my life: as a mother, author, and sports executive. KARA BUCKLEY, Co-Author, Pure Grit: Stories of Remarkable People Living with Physical Disability and Senior Advisor, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Christopher Reeve once said, 'A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.' Cindy's fierce dedication to her daughter Beth is nothing short of heroic and her story captures the honesty and reality of having a loved one face a possible lifetime of paralysis. And it is with love that Cindy and Beth find the joy inside the hardship and seize a new future full of hope and possibilities. PETER WILDEROTTER, Former President and CEO of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

Author Information

"CINDY KOLBE has been a lifelong disability advocate-even before her daughter's spinal cord injury. She directed a nonprofit, managed group homes, and taught literacy at a state institution. She volunteers for disability and mentalhealth nonprofits and is a peer mentor and advocate for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.Just Keep Swimming: a crash, a quest, and waves of hope is the second edition of Cindy's memoir. Before the ten-year anniversary of her daughter's injury, she couldn't imagine writing about it. After the anniversary, she couldn't imagine not writing her story and focused on this passion project for eight years. She borrowed some persistence from Beth and sent out more than 50 query letters before the first edition was published in 2019.Cindy and her husband John have lived in five states and nine cities. They recently moved back to the Boston area to welcome their first grandchild. She speaks at events, including the Abilities Expos across the country. She also published more than 50 articles in three years in 20 different media.Cindy's website (www.cindykolbe.com) includes her popular newsletter, ""Just Keep Swimming!"" as well as a Disability Resource Guide and a Book Club Discussion Guide. She is often available to visit book clubs virtually and may be contacted at: cindy@cindykolbe.com. Connect with her on Instagram (@cindybkolbe) and Facebook (@justkeepswimmingbook)."

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