[(Living Through the Racket: How I Survived Leukemia-and Rediscovered My Self )] [Author: Corina Morariu] [Oct-2011]

by Corina Morariu

She was 23 and at the height of her professional tennis career—a top-30 singles player, the #1 ranked doubles player in the world in 2000, and the winner of Grand Slam titles at both Wimbledon in 1999 with Lindsay Davenport, and the Australian Open Mixed doubles in 2001.Then, in May 2001, Corina Morariu was diagnosed with an advanced form of acute myelogenous leukemia and found herself in the match of a lifetime. After a grueling regimen of chemotherapy, Corina returned to competitive tennis 16 months after her diagnosis. She was named the WTA Tour Comeback Player of the Year in 2002, but the effects of the leukemia lingered. On the court, she struggled to come to terms with the cancer and two subsequent shoulder surgeries that diminished her physical capabilities as a tennis player. Off the court, she struggled to redefine herself in the wake of her trauma.In this honest, unsparing memoir, Corina opens up about what it’s like to be an athlete diagnosed with cancer, and how her battle with leukemia changed her in every way. She reassessed her devotion to tennis, her lifelong mission to be the perfect daughter, even her marriage. She took charge of her own life, often with devastating consequences to her and those she loved most.In the end, leukemia gave this world-class athlete much more than it took away—the challenge to look deeper within herself, and the strength to change her life—and she reveals the extraordinary lessons she learned along the way. It is Corina’s journey of self-discovery that will make her story incredibly poignant and uplifting to everyone who reads it—tennis player or not.Leukemia brought Corina to the brink ofdeath . . . but ultimately it saved her life.

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Anessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring story

A captivating story that interlaced tennis with real life triumphs and tribulations. It would have been interesting to hear about financial challenges since I understand that professional tennis players are relatively underpaid w respect to some of their athletic peers especially w all the travel costs.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second tennis memoir that I've read this year and I know virtually nothing about tennis and had never hear of Corina Morariu. This is the story of how Corina dealt with finding out she had cancer at the peak of her career and how she lived through it and found herself in the process. She also had two shoulder surgeries, a car accident, a divorce, another bad relationship, and her family turn on her. Through all of this she triumphed. Like I mentioned, you don't have to know anything about tennis to enjoy this book and I'd highly recommend it if you enjoy memoirs.

p.s. This is my own personal request. I wish that when someone writes a memoir, they would have a website to update readers on what they're currently doing. This is my second memoir in a row and I'd like to know what has happened to the authors since the book was written.

[A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book about lessons learned after surviving a life changing event. The author has a very positive outlook on life. Her story is interesting because of her fame but it is a great story because of the way she allows the reader into her life. The author lets us see her life both before and after leukemia. She writes very honestly. You can tell that this person actually wrote her own words, it is an authentic account of her life. This book will make you smile. I recommend reading it.

[Ginger Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you follow the world of tennis, you will enjoy this book on a deeper level.

Corina had achieved #1 in the world in doubles in the World Tennis Assn tour. She won the women's doubles title at Wimbledon in 1999. But in 2001 at age 23, she was diagnosed with leukemia and underwent chemotherapy. She made a full recovery and returned to tennis competition in 2002. This is the story of how she struggled and then came to terms with her cancer, her tennis, and her career, as well as her relationships with her family and her tennis community.