Brushes with a Stroke: Sporting Survivors and their Stories of Recovery

by Neil Harman

Veteran Fleet Street sportswriter and stroke victim Neil Harman tells seven vivid sporting tales of doubt, fear and ultimately of fierce determination in the face of a frightening condition.

A former SJA Sports News Reporter of the Year, Neil suffered a brain haemorrhage on May Bank Holiday 2023, spent four months in hospital and had to face a retirement very different from the one he had planned. This inspirational book

Neil’s own deeply personal story as well as interviews with six people from the world of sport who have suffered a stroke, including the great Olympian Michael Johnson and former captain of the Australian rugby union side Michael LynaghVivid descriptions of the stresses and strains of life on a stroke ward, where hope is so often in short supply but where sadness and humour mix in the strangest of atmospheresA candid account of how not only the life of the stroke victim is turned upside down but how their family and friends cope with the personality changes that inevitably follow such a physical and mental upheavalAnalysis of the key elements that can assist a successful rehabilitation from a stroke – strength, positivity, patience, inspiration and a never-say-die attitudeThis powerful book will provide inspiration to those living each day with the debilitating effects of a stroke, showing there can be light at the end of the tunnel.

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 30, 2025