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17 Runs: The Unbeaten Path to Unlock Life’s True Potential
Olivia Chadwick—a young mother and self-critical personal trainer—first met insurance magnate Garnet Morris at 6 am on a winter morning in Saskatoon, Canada. Chadwick's task was to help prepare Morris for the grueling,100-mile Kananaskis relay, but she had reservations—about his coachability as well as her ability to reach him while juggling her own professional, familial and maternal struggles.
Through mutual hesitations, their seasons-long training schedule led to profound and unexpected conversations. As it turned out, the coach needed coaching on self-esteem and self-forgiveness—as well as someone to believe in her as she rebuilt her own strength.
In 17 Runs, co-authors Chadwick and Morris chart the course of their unique camaraderie around initial differences and toward mutual transformation. Through their challenging push-pull, they tell a story that’s a testament to the renewing power friendship can have on our lives, businesses and ability to love.
Full of entrepreneurial wisdom on overcoming limitations, 17 Runs is a self-development story like no other. By turns motivational, amusing and heart-breaking, it is a must-read for anyone who needs coaching on how to run toward a life they truly choose.
Through mutual hesitations, their seasons-long training schedule led to profound and unexpected conversations. As it turned out, the coach needed coaching on self-esteem and self-forgiveness—as well as someone to believe in her as she rebuilt her own strength.
In 17 Runs, co-authors Chadwick and Morris chart the course of their unique camaraderie around initial differences and toward mutual transformation. Through their challenging push-pull, they tell a story that’s a testament to the renewing power friendship can have on our lives, businesses and ability to love.
Full of entrepreneurial wisdom on overcoming limitations, 17 Runs is a self-development story like no other. By turns motivational, amusing and heart-breaking, it is a must-read for anyone who needs coaching on how to run toward a life they truly choose.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 3, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 16, 2025
17 Runs is part memoir, part self-help, and completely heartfelt. It follows the story of Olivia Chadwick and her evolving friendship with Garnet Morris, a former client turned mentor, as they literally and metaphorically run through the challenges and transformations that shaped their lives. Each “run” serves as a launchpad for a deeper exploration into topics like self-worth, resilience, and breaking cycles of trauma. Structured around their weekly training sessions, the book combines vulnerable storytelling with reflection exercises, making it both deeply personal and broadly applicable.
What really struck me was how raw and real the writing is. There’s nothing polished for the sake of image here. Olivia opens up about the belief systems she inherited, ideas like not deserving success or needing to earn love through self-sacrifice. Garnet shares how he reframed these inherited limitations as “bricks” to be removed one by one. It made me think about my own mental roadblocks, the things I assumed were just “how it is.” Their honesty made me trust them, and in a genre full of empty platitudes, that’s rare.
Another thing I really appreciated: the way this book blends life stories with actionable advice without feeling preachy. When Garnet talks about breaking his smoking habit and reshaping his life after a wake-up call in a Toronto airport, it’s not just inspiring, it’s practical. He doesn’t just say “change your life,” he walks you through how he did it, and the steps are small, human, doable. The idea of celebrating tiny wins and not waiting for some big moment to make changes? That stayed with me.
The emotional depth of this book is profound. Both Olivia and Garnet recount experiences of trauma, ranging from childhood abuse and eating disorders to the devastating loss of siblings, with a level of care and intention that avoids sensationalism entirely. Their storytelling is grounded in reflection, not dramatization, making it both powerful and respectful. The chapter on “Chosen Family” is particularly affecting. It offers a poignant meditation on the idea that family is not solely defined by biology, but by the people who support our growth and stand by us during life’s most difficult moments. It’s a deeply moving section that lingers long after reading.
By the end of 17 Runs, I felt like I’d gone through something with them. This isn’t just a read, it’s an experience. And I’d recommend it to anyone who feels stuck, tired of the same internal monologue, or like they’ve been living someone else’s version of their life. This is the perfect read for those who enjoy memoirs; it’s real, it’s gentle, and it’s hopeful.
What really struck me was how raw and real the writing is. There’s nothing polished for the sake of image here. Olivia opens up about the belief systems she inherited, ideas like not deserving success or needing to earn love through self-sacrifice. Garnet shares how he reframed these inherited limitations as “bricks” to be removed one by one. It made me think about my own mental roadblocks, the things I assumed were just “how it is.” Their honesty made me trust them, and in a genre full of empty platitudes, that’s rare.
Another thing I really appreciated: the way this book blends life stories with actionable advice without feeling preachy. When Garnet talks about breaking his smoking habit and reshaping his life after a wake-up call in a Toronto airport, it’s not just inspiring, it’s practical. He doesn’t just say “change your life,” he walks you through how he did it, and the steps are small, human, doable. The idea of celebrating tiny wins and not waiting for some big moment to make changes? That stayed with me.
The emotional depth of this book is profound. Both Olivia and Garnet recount experiences of trauma, ranging from childhood abuse and eating disorders to the devastating loss of siblings, with a level of care and intention that avoids sensationalism entirely. Their storytelling is grounded in reflection, not dramatization, making it both powerful and respectful. The chapter on “Chosen Family” is particularly affecting. It offers a poignant meditation on the idea that family is not solely defined by biology, but by the people who support our growth and stand by us during life’s most difficult moments. It’s a deeply moving section that lingers long after reading.
By the end of 17 Runs, I felt like I’d gone through something with them. This isn’t just a read, it’s an experience. And I’d recommend it to anyone who feels stuck, tired of the same internal monologue, or like they’ve been living someone else’s version of their life. This is the perfect read for those who enjoy memoirs; it’s real, it’s gentle, and it’s hopeful.
May 30, 2025
Authors Garnet Morris and Olivia Chadwick invite readers into a rhythm of discipline, reflection, and transformation in their compelling work. From the outset, Morris makes it clear he’s not offering shortcuts or hype. “You can’t think your way into discipline,” he writes. “You’ve got to act your way there.” It’s a voice shaped by wear and mileage, not slogans. His reflections, marked by failure, fatigue, and persistence, make clear that change is slow and often invisible. “You keep showing up like it’s going to change something,” someone once said to him. “And it does,” he answered. “Not fast. But it does.”
Chadwick’s interjections widen the book's reach. Where Morris reflects from the trenches, Chadwick offers structure and insight from above, helping readers translate his experiences into their own lives. When Morris talks about fear, how it shows up and how it stalls progress, Chadwick echoes with strategies for reframing it. If his sections are a marathon, hers are the breathing stations along the way. Together, their voices create a kind of harmony: action and analysis, body and mind.
Framed through seventeen metaphorical (and literal) runs, the book works both as a typical motivational read and an extended meditation on effort and endurance. Each chapter, or “run,” unfolds like a training loop: a return to something essential, slightly deeper with each pass. The prose is clean, almost minimalist. It allows the reader room to move. There’s little indulgence here—no elaborate metaphorical detours or TED Talk-style crescendos. Even the affirmations feel earned rather than staged. While some repetition of themes like grit and accountability might test readers looking for novelty, it serves a purpose. Like a good training loop, it reinforces rather than repeats. In the end, the book isn’t about running at all. It’s about what happens when you refuse to stop. A lean, heartfelt guide to choosing effort over ease, intention over inertia, and movement, however small, over standing still.
Chadwick’s interjections widen the book's reach. Where Morris reflects from the trenches, Chadwick offers structure and insight from above, helping readers translate his experiences into their own lives. When Morris talks about fear, how it shows up and how it stalls progress, Chadwick echoes with strategies for reframing it. If his sections are a marathon, hers are the breathing stations along the way. Together, their voices create a kind of harmony: action and analysis, body and mind.
Framed through seventeen metaphorical (and literal) runs, the book works both as a typical motivational read and an extended meditation on effort and endurance. Each chapter, or “run,” unfolds like a training loop: a return to something essential, slightly deeper with each pass. The prose is clean, almost minimalist. It allows the reader room to move. There’s little indulgence here—no elaborate metaphorical detours or TED Talk-style crescendos. Even the affirmations feel earned rather than staged. While some repetition of themes like grit and accountability might test readers looking for novelty, it serves a purpose. Like a good training loop, it reinforces rather than repeats. In the end, the book isn’t about running at all. It’s about what happens when you refuse to stop. A lean, heartfelt guide to choosing effort over ease, intention over inertia, and movement, however small, over standing still.
May 30, 2025
Olivia Chadwick and Garnet Morris explore personal growth through the lens of endurance and connection in this motivational friendship–meets–self-help memoir. The authors’ journey begins on a cold morning in Saskatoon, where Olivia Chadwick, a young, self-critical personal trainer and mother, meets Garnet Morris, a successful but emotionally burdened insurance magnate. Their initial task is simple: prepare Morris to complete the grueling 100-mile Kananaskis Relay. But as their training continues, the relationship grows into mutual transformation. The authors use each of their shared runs to center themes of commitment, fear, forgiveness, resilience, and to unpack conversations that blend vulnerability with real-world wisdom.
Morris, though decades older, emerges as someone who needs guidance as much as he offers it. Chadwick discovers her own strength through their exchanges. The result is a dual narrative in which both authors serve as mentor and mentee in turns. Morris’s life lessons include breaking long-held habits and rethinking inherited beliefs, while Chadwick reflects on perfectionism, motherhood, and self-worth. Their story is shaped by mutual honesty rather than polish. Topics like trauma, addiction, and grief are treated with restraint and reflection, never melodrama. The book is rich in metaphor and natural imagery, with vivid depictions of the Canadian landscape acting as both backdrop and emotional mirror. Part coaching manual, part memoir, and wholly sincere, the book stands out in the self-help genre for its authenticity. It offers no shortcuts—just the quiet, powerful encouragement to keep going. A candid and affecting guide to rebuilding through discipline, friendship, and forward motion.
Morris, though decades older, emerges as someone who needs guidance as much as he offers it. Chadwick discovers her own strength through their exchanges. The result is a dual narrative in which both authors serve as mentor and mentee in turns. Morris’s life lessons include breaking long-held habits and rethinking inherited beliefs, while Chadwick reflects on perfectionism, motherhood, and self-worth. Their story is shaped by mutual honesty rather than polish. Topics like trauma, addiction, and grief are treated with restraint and reflection, never melodrama. The book is rich in metaphor and natural imagery, with vivid depictions of the Canadian landscape acting as both backdrop and emotional mirror. Part coaching manual, part memoir, and wholly sincere, the book stands out in the self-help genre for its authenticity. It offers no shortcuts—just the quiet, powerful encouragement to keep going. A candid and affecting guide to rebuilding through discipline, friendship, and forward motion.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews