Eleven Seconds: A Story of Tragedy, Courage & Triumph

by Travis Roy, E.M. Swift

In this heartfelt testament to the power of love and the strength of the human spirit, Travis Roy, who suffered a devastating injury eleven seconds into his first college hockey game, reveals how he has managed to cope after the accident and, with the help of family and friends, overcome tremendous barriers to begin a new life.

Genres: Sports, Hockey, Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir, Biography Memoir, Autobiography

226 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Out of all the books that I have read in a long time, this book would have to be one of my favorites. There was nothing that was boring about the book, and I was interested the whole entire time. The book starts out with Travis Roy talking about how his life was before the accident. How he was a promising athlete who was going to Boston University for hockey. He was a student-athlete from Maine, who was heading in the direction of becoming a starting hockey player. This was his dream which was ended in 11 seconds. He slammed his head into the boards after catching an edge, and was paralyzed from the neck down. Travis explains his perseverance through this tough time in this wonderful and uplifting book.
Not many people would be able to turn something this bad into something good, and I admire that greatly. I was so inspired that he didn’t let the injury hold him back and destroy his life. Instead he did the total opposite and started a charity for people with injuries like his. The fact that he is now able to move his arm and talk normally again shows that he was not going to let this take over his life. Most people would take this as something that was put upon them to make them suffer. Not Travis. The injury obviously did make him mad and sad because he wasn’t able to fulfill his life long dream, but he turned it into something positive. Whenever I am faced with a struggle, even though it wont come as close to his, that I will remember what he did and I will push through to overcome that struggle. Travis Roy is a role model to not only me, but also millions other people out there because of his willingness to never let something as terrifying as a paralyzing neck injury to ruin his life.

[Kristin Polseno · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was in my early 30’s and my son was just 3 weeks old— I was told by a Neuro- Ophthalmologist that there was a 75% chance I had MS. I remember looking at my newborn baby — my shoulders immediately slumped, I was devastated, and scared to death. My initial thoughts were about my son. Would he be pushing his mom around in a wheelchair? What would his life be like? Eventually— even though I had not played soccer in years— I thought about soccer too. I had always been a soccer player. That was part of my identity- even if I didn’t play anymore. I hated the thought of never running down the length of a soccer field chasing down the ball. I was fast. When members of the opposing team would yell out, “watch out for #34 ... she’s fast!” — # 34 was me. I hated the thought that I would never be the fast one on the field again. I hated the thought that I might not ever play again. Ultimately, it worked out for me. Almost 13 years later and no MS diagnosis. I connected with this book because I remember how it felt to feel like something like the ability to play soccer “might” be taken away from me. For Travis Roy that actually happened. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been for him to look out onto the freshly “ Zambonied” rink and not be out there skating across it. Travis Roy is a doer. He is fighting for a cure through the work of his foundation. He has delivered speeches before lawmakers and high school students. He isn’t giving up and that is so very admirable.

[Kevin Reddington · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Travis's Roy 11 seconds with story of tragedy becomes a triumph into a hope. A New Englander born and raised in Maine he has always been a great hockey player all through his life. Travis has always had a dream to go and play Division I hockey. He has always been committed ever since he was in grade school. Through his hockey career Travis has always played on the best high school team like Tabor Academy. During his high school he always knew that his dream would come true and get a full scholarship to a division one college. Then when he heard the good news that he got into Boston university to play hockey he was very excited for his opportunity for his college career. Travis Roy graduated from Tabor Academy in 1995 when he was 12 when he was 20 years old he met his high school sweetheart at Tabor Academy. He had always had good friends that were supporting him throughout his commitment to play D1 college along with his parents too. When he was selected to play Boston University hockey his coach told him that he will be starting games for the first three weeks of his career. The night that he started for the team Travis Roy got his chance to show what is got to the world what he's got defending BU's national championship team in 1995. But it only took 11 seconds until tragedy struck why he went headfirst into the boards shattering his fifth vertebrae in his neck which sadly made him a quadriplegic. Travis had to go under some serious rehabilitation due to his accident. But after a year work of Rehabitation and support Travis Roy had finally returned home and in 2000 he graduated from Boston university. Now he is the founder of them Travis Roy foundation where they raise money to fund to help people who suffer from being a quadriplegic.

[Everett M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleven Seconds by Travis Roy is about a middle age boy who is living all of his dreams. Travis is playing hockey at a division 1 school, dating the girl of his dreams, and is part of a family that can´t get any closer. Unfortunately, all that changes when in the first 11 seconds of his college hockey career, he breaks his neck. This was the first book that I have ever read that literally gave me goosebumps! This book was so much more than an entertaining read to pass time. This book put my life in perspective and I realized how fortunate my family and I are. I will never forget this for the first time in my life. I will also remember when I see someone in a wheelchair not to just look past them. Instead I will remember how much there life has changed and how hard of a time they must have being handicapped. When I read this book I felt bad and wished that I could help people with disabilities. I wondered what would my life be like if that was me? I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about a truly spectacular story. I was fascinated at Travis’s struggle, but at the same time, he learned who he truly is and what he wants to do with his life. I couldn’t put the book down for more than a couple of hours. So if you're looking for a non-fiction book that is truly inspirational and test your own beliefs and values I think you found the perfect book.

[Rachel Barr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine working your butt off everyday for your whole life, giving it 100 percent, and right when the moment matters the most, you mess up. This is what Travis Roy experienced in his championship hockey game. One bad move, and he is paralyzed for the rest of his life. This book was written in first person, because Travis Roy wrote it himself. He defiantly makes himself sound real in the book, because this is no fairytale. When he is in the wheelchairs, people would stereotype him, and think he is mentally retarded, or think he is just weird. This bothered him because he really is a very nice person. This book was very interesting and always kept me reading. The suspense, was great; i never wanted to put the book down.

[Will Keach · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a biography about the famous hockey player Travis Roy. His hockey career was cut short when he suffered a terrible injury while playing his first college hockey shift. The book is about before and after his injury I really enjoyed the book because it talks about how he overcame his injury but it also shows the struggle that he had.

[Cecilia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some memoirs are powerfully written, and the power of the writing itself does not have to be separated from the significance of the story. Some memoirs tell a significant story, but the writing itself is not at particularly high level. This book is one of the latter category.

[Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book "Eleven Seconds" is a very interesting and tragic true story about a man named Travis Roy. His life was just beginning as he was getting ready to play his first college hockey game. In the first shift of the first game he was paralyzed, and the book is about his struggle of every day life. It also goes into detail about how his family dealt with the injury.

[Josh Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travis Roy’s 11 Seconds is about how his life has changed after obtaining a horrible injury while playing his first 11 seconds of college hockey. After his injury Travis didn’t stop trying to make people happy, making a fundraiser for people in similar situations like his. I would recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of inspiring stories.

[Ryan Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

11 Seconds by Travis Roy is a true story about a hockey player at Boston University. Eleven seconds into his first game he gave a check and became a quadriplegic. Roy is very inspiring when he talks about living completely helpless and immobile. I liked this book a lot because it is a true story of a tragic event that shows how dangerous sports can be.

[Joseph Keene · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book by Travis Roy is a very sad story. The plot is about his dream of becoming a division 1 hockey player and when he finally achieves his goal. His life is changed in a very dramatic way. This book is very good and I would read it again.

[Charlie Calabrese · Rating 4 out of 5]

11 seconds is about the young star athlete Travis Roy trying to peruse his dreams to become a pro hockey player. Travis has been accepted into his dream college, Boston University, but ends up injuring his spinal cord in his first game. This ends up making Travis a quadriplegic. This story emphasizes Travis road to recovery but also his deep love for hockey. Travis does a great job of describing his emotions and feelings when having to face his new reality. I recommend this book to anyone who likes hockey and non fiction.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was alright. The story was very moving, but I didn't enjoy the way the book was written. The structure of it seemed very amateur, but that doesn't really matter because Travis was a hockey player, not an author. However I thought he portrayed the story of his life well enough for people to understand what happened to him, and how other people suffering with quadriplegic injuries can be helped...

At the boarding school I attend, my grade chose to support Travis Roy and The Travis Roy Foundation as one of our group community service and fundraiser projects. After getting the entire class to read Travis's book, we organized a way for him to come to the school and talk about his life. We had many fundraisers during the week and were able to raise a lot of money. After the talk, some special people, myself included, got to meet Travis and talk with him one on one about his life.

At the end of the event we had raised several more thousands of dollars and were able to send Travis home with a smile on his face and a giant check in his pocket. I think meeting him in person and getting to see the man behind the curtain was the best part of the whole experience.

[Drew Gagnon]

Over my summer vacation, I read the book, "Eleven Seconds", by Travis Roy. I very much enjoyed reading this non fiction book for many reasons. One of the reasons that I liked this book is because it is about my favorite sport, hockey. The main reason why I liked "Eleven Seconds" is because throughout the book, Travis Roy never gave up and he gave everything his hardest. Even after Roys injury, he never stopped enjoying the game of hockey, nor did he stop making other people happy. The next reason why I enjoyed this book is because after his injury, he started a fundraiser for all the people that have gotten permanently injured by playing hockey. These are the reasons why I enjoyed this book very much. I also recommend this book to all my friends and anyone that is interested in the sport of hockey.

[Andrew Tache · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book it tells the story of a boy who for his whole life has lived at the rink and dreamed about playing in the NHL. This book was very interesting from start to finish and is a must read for anyone who plays, watches or just loves the game of hockey.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not wonderfully written. A tragic tale. Light on analysis. Sad. I didn't learn much. I hope my students do. It's eye opening for younger folks, I hope. I wish there was more on how he and his loved ones dealt with the grieving. The parts that's did that were the most powerful.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was more about overcoming challenges then hockey - which was good.

The author tended to get a little self absorbed by the end of the book.

[Bryce Halsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having grown up loving hockey since day one, Travis Roy will definitely be remembered as a hockey player and an inspirational person. Travis Roy’s 2008 nonfiction book, Eleven Seconds, has him experiencing difficulties that are life changing after 20 years and 11 seconds. Doctors tell him he might not live to do the things he has done before ever again. To demonstrate this struggle, Roy incorporates major character development, vocabulary, and minor character development. Thus, the book teaches how being paralyzed can change a person’s life, but persuades readers to help and encourage paralyzed people
The book opens with Travis as a high school athlete, and soon has him being accepted at college, his first choice, Boston University. Travis becomes a BU hockey player, which was his dream since he was little. During the first game of the season, Travis is picked to go out on the ice next by Coach Parker. When Travis hits the ice, he skates to the corner to get the puck and hits a Terrier player. Travis goes head first into the boards and can’t get up. After a couple of minutes, he comes to and says to his dad, “I made it” (Roy, 42). Suddenly, his D1 thoughts go away and he now has bigger problems to face in the hospital. As Travis Roy learns in the hospital, your life's worth living for even when you lose everything.
As most nonfiction books include, Roy, the author, relies heavily on key vocabulary in order to teach his readers about the difficulties of being paralyzed. When Travis fell into the boards, he hurt one of his spinal discs and lost feeling in most of his body. He says, “I’d likely be a quadriplegic” (Roy 47). By including the word, “quadriplegic”, this tells the reader that he can't control his legs or his arms. This changes his life because he is now confined to a wheelchair and has to have other people to do life skills for him. When Travis is in the hospital, he can’t move around a lot because he is quadriplegic which means he is lying on his back everyday. He says, “I’d gotten bedsores, or decubitus” (Roy, 75). The word “decubitus” means bed sores that develop when you rest in the same position for a long period of time, which is common to patients like him. These bedsores never happened to Travis before because he was so active and now he lies on a bed, plus sits in a wheelchair all day. Therefore, the key vocabulary sets up the understanding of how being paralyzed changes a person’s life.
Throughout the book, the author describes his life changes using major character development. When Travis came to, he was thinking about what just happened. He says, “ A split second earlier I’d been light and fast...now there was nothing” (Roy, 40-41). Irony is used in this example because just a split second before he was a D1 athlete then he lost one of his most important aspect of his life. Travis lost everything and his life is changed forever. When Travis returned to BU after his accident, he watched a hockey game from the sidelines. He says to himself, “There was no point in doing that anymore” (Roy, 120). The negative connotation of “no” used in this example tells the reader that he doesn’t like to watch something he used to enjoy. He has officially changed his life due to being paralyzed because he no longer enjoys the game of hockey. Thus, being paralyzed influences Travis’s life in a great matter.
Lastly, Roy uses minor character development to persuade people not to give up on paralyzed people. Travis Roy met a man named Steve, who was also a paraplegic. Roy says that Steve “continue[s] getting back more feeling and more movement” (Roy, 123). Steve slowly gained movement in his arms over the time he has been in the hospital with Travis. If Steve wasn’t persuaded by the nurses at the hospital to keep trying to gain movement, Steve would not have progressed in his recovery. When a 15 year old girl enters the hospital, she didn’t want to do any therapy to get better, but the nurses kept pushing her to do them. Roy exclaims, “By the time I left, she’d changed her outlook...she’s walking with a cane” (Roy, 124). The girl was a paraplegic, but now she is walking which is very rare. The people working at the hospital did not give up on her even when she was complaining, and she now can walk. As seen, being paralyzed is very difficult and it really helps those that are paralyzed to be encouraged that they can recover.
Thus, Eleven Seconds both teaches and persuades the readers. The book uses key vocabulary to help readers to understand the difficulties and the changes of their lives. It then has minor and major character development to persuade people to help and demonstrate the changes of a paralyzed person’s life. Thus, a high school level student who likes sports would enjoy this book. The book teaches them the power of courage and strength, but also delivers a great sport story.

[Ali T]

I chose the book Eleven Seconds, written by Travis Roy to read. This book is a biography, about a boy whose hockey career ended in a flash. Travis Roy was an outstanding hockey player. He was a young boy with a dream. Travis played hockey all his life. He attended Boston University. As a freshman his first game was important. When the game started, he got on to the ice and within 11 seconds, he was pushed into the boards, broke his neck and shattered his fourth vertebra in his spine, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. His hockey career was over, but that did not stop him from continuing his life. I think the theme to this book is courage, because he needed a lot of courage in order to get on with his life after the incident.

Travis Roy is a very inspirational person. He was a boy with a dream. Travis was living the perfect life, just when he thought it was going well it changed in a instant. I think for anyone who has gone through something so traumatizing and to get back up and keep going on with your life takes a lot of courage. I am very impressed and inspired by this story. To think that he was just a normal boy living out his dream and then have it taken away in 11 seconds is absolutely horrific to think about. I learned that even when something goes wrong or something happened to never give up, because there is always good when bad comes. For anyone who reads this story, there is something special to the story that the reader picks up on. The book includes courage, inspiration, bravery and strength. Courage is a big part in this story because after his incident not only did he move on but he went back to Boston University and was a freshman again. After the accident Travis "wanted to get back too his old self, he is not there yet,but that kid is alive inside of him and he feel's him trying to break out"(Roy,p226). What Travis is saying is that he knows that his old self before the incident is still living in his body and hes trying to be the person he was before the accident. Even though hes not yet the person he used to be, he knows that he will be that person again. I do not think anyone was expecting this to happen. After the incident Travis "still loved hockey" he said "i am not angry at the sport, i am not angry at anything or anyone, i am just sad"(p1) Travis is saying that he is not angry this happened, and he is not angry at anyone he is sad. He is sad that this happened to him, in his first BU hockey game. I think that Travis became a stronger person after the incident.

My overall thoughts on this book was that i was speechless and blown away. To think that someone has so much courage to move on from a terrible tragedy and to move on with his life and being such an amazing role model and inspiration to some people is amazing. i would recommend this book. Its just an amazing story to be told. I would recommend to someone who has been through a tragedy or needs courage i think this book will inspire them.

[Janey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although a repetitive subject I talk about a lot, it’s one that's impacted me more than I’ve ever realized until after reading this book. Being a young athlete, much like Travis was, we both had significant injuries that forever changed us both as well as life's perspective. Eleven seconds into Travis’ career that had just started as a hockey player at his D1, dream school, he suffered from breaking his neck in a spinal cord injury. While not so severe, halfway through my junior year, in basketball and then again at the start of my senior year, I tore my ACL, Meniscus, and sprained a multitude of other ligaments. This resulted in two surgeries and eighteen months of physical therapy in which I am currently still in. Aside such things, Travis’ biography is really empowering as it takes ideas such as strength and courage to show that facing reality, although hard, is necessary and betters us. He has such an optimistic mind set on life after such devastating and depressing news he’s continuously had to face. Writing from the heart, I believe he did an amazing job of expressing true feelings to the author in order to denote in the writing a way for the audience to really connect to him and his new prospective. Most of all, I learned a new way to see past others and into their stories. Oftentimes we stare at those who appear different, not by intent, however, it gives off a judgemental appearance. This siad, Travis’ thought helped me to realize, I don;t have it worse, life is still livable, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and most of all not everyone's story is known so don’t assume things. While all positives, the only thing I would've liked better about this book would have been if it were an autobiography because I wonder if different techniques would've been used or there would have been other messages outputted as well. Overall, an amazing read though and I highly recommend it to athletes especially!

[Alia Piccinni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alia Piccinni
September 11, 2017
Humanities English
Block 1

Eleven Seconds

Many people know of Travis Roy’s story, without reading his book, because his tragic accident made headlining news around the country. When the accident was current, perhaps the news only focused on how horrible the accident was physically, but did they mention how the accident mentally affected Roy and his family? Fortunately, his book sheds light on what got him to that eleven seconds of his dream, and his recovery after.
Joyous, heartbreaking, and everything in between, Travis Roy’s memoir, Eleven Seconds: A Story of Tragedy, Courage, and Triumph, is an inspirational story about a die-hard hockey player, whose hard work growing up was changed within a matter of seconds. The book gives readers an inside look on Roy’s life while growing up, his dedication to the sport of hockey, and his ultimate goal in life, as well as his recovery.
This is a book that is hard to put down, especially if someone plays or is interested in hockey, or enjoys inspirational stories. It can often be hard to share your life story with others, but Roy has done a tremendous job telling his readers about parts of his life that make him feel vulnerable, perhaps, which made me want to continue reading. Eleven Seconds is a reminder of how quickly life can change, how unfair and unpredictable the world may seem, but also how hard one must work to reach a point in their life where they wouldn’t want it to change. It is truly remarkable how Roy stays optimistic throughout his long recovery. He says in his book, “That’s where I want to get back, i’m not there yet. But I know that kid. He’s alive inside, and I feel him trying to break out.” (226) Roy has not been defeated by paralysis, instead, he is now using his disability to inspire others, and perhaps himself, starting with the publication of Eleven Seconds: A Story of Tragedy, Courage, and Triumph. It is simply an inspiring story that makes you want to keep reading.

[TJ Chisholm]

11 seconds into Travis Roy’s first game on the Boston University Hockey Team, a crash into the boards leaves him paralized from the shoulders down. 11 Seconds (A Story of Tragedy, Courage & Triumph) is an auto-biography written by Travis Roy and E.M. Swift. The book chronicles his early life as a promising hockey player, the crash that changed his life forever, his road to recovery, and learning to live as a quadrepalegic. Most of the book talks about Travis’ recovery, making this an interesting read for everyone, even if you are not a sports fan. Delving into the mind of someone who is trapped inside their own body is truly heartbreaking. Travis goes very deep into his thoughts and emotions, giving lots of insight people would not know about being paraylized. The saddest parts of the book is when he reflects on his past, wanting to be able to play hockey, wanting to just fit in like a normal person. Even though Travis is able to do very little things, the book is still very entertaining to read, being that he always has something funny or interesting to say. The book will keep you hooked, wanting to know how Travis is coming along in his recovery, and how he will face every day problems. I am not an avid reader in any sense, but I found it very easy to sit down and read a few chapters at a time. Being only 240 pages long, it is an easy book for anyone to jump into. I would recommend this book to people who like nonfiction stories, people that want to learn more about sports injuries, and how an injury could affect someone's mental state. I definitely learned a lot after reading this book, and had an enjoyable time doing it.

[Kelsea Dwelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The title of the book is Eleven Seconds by Travis Roy. This book is about a hockey player who grew up in Yarmouth, Maine. It’s a tragic story of a talented athlete who broke his neck and got paralyzed from the neck down in his very first division one hockey game. The first line of the book is “I still love hockey. I’m not angry at the sport. I’m not angry at anything, or anyone. What I am is sad. Sad that it all ended so soon.” This book was very emotional for me, having this life changing event is unthinkable. The point of the view in this book is through Travis, having him being the narrator shows the reader how he felt before, during and after his accident. This affected the book in the way that you could understand him and see what he was going through. I liked how he organized his book starting before his accident, talking about his hockey career from when he was a mite up to high school. This helped the reader understand why hockey meant so much to him. Multiple times in this book he says “I love the sounds of hockey,” which shows the reader how much he misses playing. Travis Roy got attention. National attention. The support overwhelmed him. “But I was unaware of all the fuss. Indifferent, I suppose, is a better word, for i’d become famous for all of the wrong reasons.” He didn’t want all of this attention, he was embarrassed even. He just wanted to be a normal guys agian. Travis does also include pictures in his book of him playing hockey, which also helps the reader connect to him. Overall I enjoyed reading the book and would highly recommend it.

[Joseph Defrancesco]

11 seconds, E. M. Swift and Travis Roy, published in 1998, all about Tragedy, Courage & Triumph. Roy, at 20, is the son of a hockey coach and played his first game as a freshman at Boston University in 1995. He was paralyzed from the neck down by a crash into the boards. After months in a hospital, rehabilitation at a center in Atlanta and he had to adjust to life in a wheelchair, he continued his college studies. Travis Roy, who suffered a life-changing injury eleven seconds into his first college hockey game, reveals how he has managed to deal with and move on after the accident and, with the help of family and friends, overcome tremendous barriers.

The book was powerful showing how anything can happen at any time, Travis explains that just because you got paralyzed does not mean it changes who you are. He explained how to cope with stuff that hits you in life and how to move on from the tragedies. The strengths in 11 Seconds explain how everything happened and clearly show how to not let anything in your way. He is all about motivation and helping people get through rough times. The weaknesses in 11 Seconds are that the book drags on sentences and it gets boring halfway threw because of dragging on the same topic. He could've spaced topics up better to make the book more enjoyable for the reader.

[Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleven seconds into Travis Roy's first Boston University hockey game he became paralyzed from the neck down. Travis grew up in Maine He was a star hockey player and was looking forward to a season of Division I college hockey.
After his accident he wonders if it is even worth living as a quadriplegic because he would never able to walk again. Even his girlfriend that he had at the time stayed with him which surprised me because a lot of people say they can't handle dealing with their boyfriend or girlfriend when a major injury happens to them. Travis learns to be positive and a role model for others. I think that if you like reading about people with struggles that overcome them you would like this book.
If I had to give this book a rating I would give it a 9 out of 10 because of everything Travis had to go through with this happening to his life and he never gave up even though he thought about if living was worth it.

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eleven Seconds is a memoir about Travis Roy, a hockey player who went through a terrible injury. The book starts by describing his childhood, and his early life, including middle school and high school. Travis was a hockey and soccer player who was going to play hockey for Boston University, but on October 20, 1995, he went headfirst into the boards while trying to check someone. He broke his neck and his playing was over. He went through therapy and now has his own foundation called the Travis Roy fund that helps raise money for things that quadriplegics need, such as new wheelchairs, handicap accessible vans, and elevators. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars because it was very interesting and I enjoyed reading the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history, tragedies, or sports.

[Ronna Caras · Rating 4 out of 5]

This true story is about an athlete, whose hard work and passion for hockey allows him to fulfill his dream of playing his first college game. In 11 seconds he is injured and his life changes forever. It’s about community support, an adaptable and loving family, and what this amazing man was able to accomplish after breaking his neck. One scene I will never forget describes Travis attempting to go back to college in his wheelchair. He waits for the elevator, and is left behind when it fills up with able-bodied students going to class without any concern for the reality that they can use the stairs and he will just have to wait and wait and maybe be late. The author has since passed away, but his life story is absolutely worth learning about.

[Luke Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing. 11 Seconds is a great representation of how one person can power through and face adversity and come out a better man. What made this book even more special for me is the relationship that the main character, Travis and his dad had. It reminded me of how my dad and I were as close as they were and how his dad was the light of his world like mine. Overall this book is great for showing how one person can go through so much and still come out as a better person and to have so much happiness in their life, even after a terrible accident.

[Alex Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very well written. The timeline is clear. I can connect to how he feels about hockey and what goes through his head after his injury. He was considered a quadriplegic after his bad hit that was only eleven seconds into his first game of the season. It changed his life forever. He would no longer play the game he loves and will only have the memories of playing hockey. This could happen to me at anytime and he has made me think about the consequences.

[Brendan Trohon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was very good, it consisted of a person named Travis Roy and his life story of how his career changed drastically. He was a very hard working person until he got into an accident. This book was very touching and made me think twice about my life. It made me feel really lucky to be the person I am today without having to struggle, and to have the usage of everything below my neck. This book was very motivating to me, and I highly recommend this book to people.