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Defiant: A Broken Body Is Not a Broken Person
“ As I looked back over the landscape of my life, and the many setbacks I had endured, I saw that every loss also offered a gift, even if I didn’t recognize it at the time. Whenever I was called upon to loosen my grip on some cherished part of my life, I was consequently given the opportunity to start again, to create anew something of value . . . every ending carried the seeds of possibility, a chance to start over.” — Janine Shepherd
Defiant chronicles the remarkable life of Janine Shepherd, an elite ski racer whose bid to represent Australia in the Olympics was cut short by a tragic accident. She recalls the ten days she hovered between life and death, faced with the difficult choice to let go or return to a body that would never be whole again. After six months in hospital battling to rehabilitate her permanent disabilities, she not only taught herself to walk again—she earned her wings as both a pilot and an aerobatics instructor.
Happily married and raising three children, her life was again upended when she was forced to face a painful divorce, the loss of her home, and financial ruin. Undaunted, Janine persevered in managing her again-reinvented life as a single mom, as well as celebrated author and international speaker.
Janine Shepherd shares with candor and compassion the practical lessons she has learned throughout her continuing journey. Defiant offers hope and encouragement for anyone facing a life challenge, sharing the author’s hard-won wisdom and priceless advice for navigating one’s way from loss to healing.
Defiant chronicles the remarkable life of Janine Shepherd, an elite ski racer whose bid to represent Australia in the Olympics was cut short by a tragic accident. She recalls the ten days she hovered between life and death, faced with the difficult choice to let go or return to a body that would never be whole again. After six months in hospital battling to rehabilitate her permanent disabilities, she not only taught herself to walk again—she earned her wings as both a pilot and an aerobatics instructor.
Happily married and raising three children, her life was again upended when she was forced to face a painful divorce, the loss of her home, and financial ruin. Undaunted, Janine persevered in managing her again-reinvented life as a single mom, as well as celebrated author and international speaker.
Janine Shepherd shares with candor and compassion the practical lessons she has learned throughout her continuing journey. Defiant offers hope and encouragement for anyone facing a life challenge, sharing the author’s hard-won wisdom and priceless advice for navigating one’s way from loss to healing.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2016
9 people are currently reading
515 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
August 11, 2017
I received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.
What an amazing life story by an amazing Woman.
Showing what can really be achieved if you don't accept no.
Brilliant.
What an amazing life story by an amazing Woman.
Showing what can really be achieved if you don't accept no.
Brilliant.
February 8, 2023
I enjoyed reading about her strength, determination and her fight as she went through various changes. I also appreciate the overall message of the book. I didn’t care for how her husband’s mental illness was portrayed. I was left scratching my head over the gaps in the story and questioning the effectiveness of his treatment. I recognize this book is about her journey, not his - but that topic just didn’t sit right with me. Overall I enjoyed the book.
November 19, 2020
On Janine Shepherd and her defiance
Janine Shepherd is an extraordinary person – a bestselling author, inspirational/TED speaker, Change agent, aerobatic pilot, and advocate for the invaluable notion that “a broken body is not a broken person”. I first came to know Janine and her writing in mid-2010 via John Kiang, an air traffic controller of more than 40 years in Taiwan who was then blogging about famous female pilots around the world. Having read Janine’s Never Tell Me Never (1994), John recognised it as a highly inspirational book and approached me in the hope that I could help to promote it in the Chinese World.
I managed to get hold of a copy of Never Tell Me Never and read it all in one sitting. An inspirational story indeed, it details how Janine’s life as a champion cross-country skier gearing for the Winter Olympics was irrevocably altered in 1986 when she was run over by a truck during a training bicycle ride to the Blue Mountains. Janine’s neck and back were broken, her collarbone and five ribs were fractured, and her right leg was ripped open. She had severe lacerations to her abdominal area, lost five litres of blood, and suffered serious internal injuries. At first the doctors thought she would not live. Then they said she would be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of her life and never bear children.
Through the following years, Janine remained a partial paraplegic and sufferer of chronic back pain. However, not only did she start walking again, but she also gave birth to three children, gained her pilot’s license as well as a Commercial pilot’s license, and went on to become a trained aerobatics flying instructor. She was named one of ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World in 1998, an Australian Achiever in 1999, and a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2001. She was the first female director of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and a torchbearer at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney. Today, she is an ambassador for Spinal Cure Australia.
Although countless Australians as well as readers in the United States and Brazil have been captivated by Janine’s story of incredible courage and strength, her book remained relatively unknown in the Chinese World despite John’s and my own efforts to promote it. Most of the publishers in Taiwan either did not respond or turned it down, with the rationale that readers could only handle a limited number of inspirational stories of people with disabilities. Considering the success of Nick Vujicic’s 2010 autobiography Life without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life, whose Chinese edition was published later that year in Taiwan and quickly became a bestseller throughout Asia, they thought it was neither necessary nor worthwhile to invest on Janine’s story.
Meanwhile, having worked hard through various connections, John and I thought we finally had a chance to crack the Chinese Market when we received a proposal from a major publisher in Beijing in early 2011. The publisher was happy to publish my Chinese translation of Janine’s Never Tell Me Never. However, they wanted Janine to offer the rights to her book for free, with a financial contribution either from her or from the Australian Government in order to promote it. After much negotiation (for which our Chinese contact took all the credit), the publisher agreed to pay Janine as the author a Basic Fee of 30 Chines dollars – approximately 4.30 Australian dollars back then – per thousand words. That is to say, for her 80,000-word autobiography, Janine would only receive 344 Australian dollars. Should the Chinese edition get o sell more than 10,000 copies, then the publisher would be happy to pay a Print Run Fee of 0.3 Chinese dollars per extra thousand copies – the equivalent of 2.1 Australian dollars back then. (Note: Back in 2011, the exchange rate between Australian and U.S. Dollars was roughly 1:1.)
(I should note there that at least in the case of this particular Chinese publisher, they considered the role of the translator to be equally important as that of the author in the publishing process. Hence I, as the translator, was also offered a Basic Fee of 344 Australian dollars for my willingness to translate a 80,000-word book from English to Chinese. The aforementioned Print Run Fee would apply to me as well. The exchange rate between Australian and U.S. dollars is about 1:0.77 today.)
Obviously – and understandably – Janine was highly pis… Let’s just say, she was very upset when she saw the Chinese proposal. And I thought (and still think) she had all the rights in the world to feel angry, especially when I heard of the publishing deal she had signed with a Brazilian publisher to translate and publish Never Tell Me Never in Portuguese. Not only did they offer a five-digit advance payment to her as the author, but they were also willing to pay good money for quality translation.
So the deal was off, and Janine’s remarkable life story remained almost unknown to readers across the Chinese World. While that was back in 2011 – and I am sure things are considerably different with the Chinese Market now – that negotiation remains one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life as a writer, translator and publisher of Chinese digital and print books. It shows how difficult it is to break into a new market if you are not supported by one of the Big Five publishers and/or promoted at international book fairs by famous literary agents. While the term “independent author” did not exist then, what happened to Janine back in 2011 is still happening to independent and self-published authors across the world today.
Still, should opportunities arise, I would still encourage all emerging and established authors to actively promote their books to the Chinese World, not only because our literary voices deserve to be heard, but also because Chinese readers, like their Western counterparts, deserve to have fresh, original and diverse content that inspires and informs. Just like the title of Janine’s new book – DEFIANT – it is while countering relentless challenges that we become aware of our own courage, value and dignity as human beings.
This review was originally published on "Voices under the Sun" blog (https://christinesunflower.com/2016/1...).
Janine Shepherd is an extraordinary person – a bestselling author, inspirational/TED speaker, Change agent, aerobatic pilot, and advocate for the invaluable notion that “a broken body is not a broken person”. I first came to know Janine and her writing in mid-2010 via John Kiang, an air traffic controller of more than 40 years in Taiwan who was then blogging about famous female pilots around the world. Having read Janine’s Never Tell Me Never (1994), John recognised it as a highly inspirational book and approached me in the hope that I could help to promote it in the Chinese World.
I managed to get hold of a copy of Never Tell Me Never and read it all in one sitting. An inspirational story indeed, it details how Janine’s life as a champion cross-country skier gearing for the Winter Olympics was irrevocably altered in 1986 when she was run over by a truck during a training bicycle ride to the Blue Mountains. Janine’s neck and back were broken, her collarbone and five ribs were fractured, and her right leg was ripped open. She had severe lacerations to her abdominal area, lost five litres of blood, and suffered serious internal injuries. At first the doctors thought she would not live. Then they said she would be bound to a wheelchair for the rest of her life and never bear children.
Through the following years, Janine remained a partial paraplegic and sufferer of chronic back pain. However, not only did she start walking again, but she also gave birth to three children, gained her pilot’s license as well as a Commercial pilot’s license, and went on to become a trained aerobatics flying instructor. She was named one of ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World in 1998, an Australian Achiever in 1999, and a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2001. She was the first female director of the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) and a torchbearer at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney. Today, she is an ambassador for Spinal Cure Australia.
Although countless Australians as well as readers in the United States and Brazil have been captivated by Janine’s story of incredible courage and strength, her book remained relatively unknown in the Chinese World despite John’s and my own efforts to promote it. Most of the publishers in Taiwan either did not respond or turned it down, with the rationale that readers could only handle a limited number of inspirational stories of people with disabilities. Considering the success of Nick Vujicic’s 2010 autobiography Life without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life, whose Chinese edition was published later that year in Taiwan and quickly became a bestseller throughout Asia, they thought it was neither necessary nor worthwhile to invest on Janine’s story.
Meanwhile, having worked hard through various connections, John and I thought we finally had a chance to crack the Chinese Market when we received a proposal from a major publisher in Beijing in early 2011. The publisher was happy to publish my Chinese translation of Janine’s Never Tell Me Never. However, they wanted Janine to offer the rights to her book for free, with a financial contribution either from her or from the Australian Government in order to promote it. After much negotiation (for which our Chinese contact took all the credit), the publisher agreed to pay Janine as the author a Basic Fee of 30 Chines dollars – approximately 4.30 Australian dollars back then – per thousand words. That is to say, for her 80,000-word autobiography, Janine would only receive 344 Australian dollars. Should the Chinese edition get o sell more than 10,000 copies, then the publisher would be happy to pay a Print Run Fee of 0.3 Chinese dollars per extra thousand copies – the equivalent of 2.1 Australian dollars back then. (Note: Back in 2011, the exchange rate between Australian and U.S. Dollars was roughly 1:1.)
(I should note there that at least in the case of this particular Chinese publisher, they considered the role of the translator to be equally important as that of the author in the publishing process. Hence I, as the translator, was also offered a Basic Fee of 344 Australian dollars for my willingness to translate a 80,000-word book from English to Chinese. The aforementioned Print Run Fee would apply to me as well. The exchange rate between Australian and U.S. dollars is about 1:0.77 today.)
Obviously – and understandably – Janine was highly pis… Let’s just say, she was very upset when she saw the Chinese proposal. And I thought (and still think) she had all the rights in the world to feel angry, especially when I heard of the publishing deal she had signed with a Brazilian publisher to translate and publish Never Tell Me Never in Portuguese. Not only did they offer a five-digit advance payment to her as the author, but they were also willing to pay good money for quality translation.
So the deal was off, and Janine’s remarkable life story remained almost unknown to readers across the Chinese World. While that was back in 2011 – and I am sure things are considerably different with the Chinese Market now – that negotiation remains one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life as a writer, translator and publisher of Chinese digital and print books. It shows how difficult it is to break into a new market if you are not supported by one of the Big Five publishers and/or promoted at international book fairs by famous literary agents. While the term “independent author” did not exist then, what happened to Janine back in 2011 is still happening to independent and self-published authors across the world today.
Still, should opportunities arise, I would still encourage all emerging and established authors to actively promote their books to the Chinese World, not only because our literary voices deserve to be heard, but also because Chinese readers, like their Western counterparts, deserve to have fresh, original and diverse content that inspires and informs. Just like the title of Janine’s new book – DEFIANT – it is while countering relentless challenges that we become aware of our own courage, value and dignity as human beings.
This review was originally published on "Voices under the Sun" blog (https://christinesunflower.com/2016/1...).
October 29, 2018
I heard of Janine Sheperd through a podcast I was listening to. There is no doubt that her story is profound and inspirational. Janine "The Machine" is an apt nickname for a former Olympic cross-country skier who overcame physical tragedy to reinvent her life as a pilot, horseback rider, mom of three, and motivational speaker. Janine's story is a testament to how human spirit and will can overcome the impossible. Reading the first part of the book, I never thought that Janine could ever walk again. But after watching her TED Talk and seeing her walk across the stage, it felt surreal on how she overcame her accident.
Her writing is in prose, like how bloggers write, so do not expect literary adeptness. But her detailed account of her accident to her success as a pilot and other endeavors make this book a great read. The last part of the book is also as good as the first part because Janine showed vulnerability and honesty which a lot of people at the top of their fields would not even divulge to the public.
Her writing is in prose, like how bloggers write, so do not expect literary adeptness. But her detailed account of her accident to her success as a pilot and other endeavors make this book a great read. The last part of the book is also as good as the first part because Janine showed vulnerability and honesty which a lot of people at the top of their fields would not even divulge to the public.
July 28, 2017
Very interesting story, the title compelled me to read this book. The author was a bit lacking in her writing, but I kept reading.
Favorite quotes:
“I later learned that I’d lost the innate ability to perceive the placement or movement in an extremity. For someone who is able-bodied, the mind is always tuned in to where any given part of the body is in relation to the rest of the body, a hardwired ability known as pro-prospection. That’s how we walk without the need to look at or think about our feet. But the damage to my spinal cord interfered with my brain’s messages to my legs. I would have to consciously create a new mind-to-extremity pathway to know where to place each foot, one shuffling motion at a time.”
“It was possible for other nerves to take over for the damaged ones (called “neuroplasticity”). Uncertain about the prognosis, they couldn’t yet predict the extent of expected recovery.”
Favorite quotes:
“I later learned that I’d lost the innate ability to perceive the placement or movement in an extremity. For someone who is able-bodied, the mind is always tuned in to where any given part of the body is in relation to the rest of the body, a hardwired ability known as pro-prospection. That’s how we walk without the need to look at or think about our feet. But the damage to my spinal cord interfered with my brain’s messages to my legs. I would have to consciously create a new mind-to-extremity pathway to know where to place each foot, one shuffling motion at a time.”
“It was possible for other nerves to take over for the damaged ones (called “neuroplasticity”). Uncertain about the prognosis, they couldn’t yet predict the extent of expected recovery.”
May 24, 2017
It was a very descriptive, intense book showing the strength of character that Ms. Shepherd had, but I did find it a bit long and must confess that I skipped the aerobics flying chapters. It was medically quite graphic and maybe a bit much for some. Overall, a good read and I will be passing it on to another to read. I admire her strength of character as a partial paraplegic as my cousin was a partial quadriplegic after he was hit by a texting driver. He also showed huge strength of character as did his family, as John went on to speak and inspire others to "Put away that phone and don't text and drive."
February 2, 2017
Janine has a remarkable life story that she chronicled in this touching memoir. Although having never properly met, I now address the author by first name because Defiant is written in a way that made me feel that I had been there along side her though it all, courageously facing daunting challenges, navigating setbacks, celebrating victories of all sizes. Have you read any good books lately? Here's one!
March 20, 2018
Janine is an incredible woman. Her strength and resilience never cease to amaze and inspire. Even though I was familiar with her story from attending one of her talks, I couldn’t put this book down. She is a talented writer and at times had me in tears or laughing out loud, sometimes simultaneously! Defiant is well worth a read.
January 1, 2018
I read her first book when it originally came out and found that I remembered most of those events mentioned which took up more than half in this latest one.
Still a good read. Sorry to read that the ensuing years have been so difficult for Janine. I wish her well.
Still a good read. Sorry to read that the ensuing years have been so difficult for Janine. I wish her well.
July 6, 2018
I first heard about Janine Shepherd in James Whittaker's book 'Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy.' It's a remarkable story of resilience, courage and gratitude. What a journey, what a woman. Highly recommended for for all those facing adversity or as a gift for someone in a difficult stage of life.
February 2, 2017
I received this book from Good Reads.
The author's writing style is lacking; however, when you read her story, it becomes clear as to why.
Endurance, tenacity and grit are her virtues!
The author's writing style is lacking; however, when you read her story, it becomes clear as to why.
Endurance, tenacity and grit are her virtues!
November 14, 2019
Great Book. Very inspiring and motivational.
March 18, 2021
Read for book club and while I appreciate the crazy tragedy that she overcame to become a pilot and mom, it’s not my kind of reading.
January 10, 2023
Fantastic book, very inspirational.
December 2, 2016
As a long time follower of Janine's story, progress and achievements, I was more than a little excited that she was releasing an updated memoir. And as a reader of her previous books, I had very high expectations for this. As I sat - crying, laughing, and awed - through the story again, Janine's latest book, Defiant, does not disappoint. Her story is phenomenal but her telling of the story is just as inspirational as the journey itself. Janine's writing is vulnerable, emotionally intelligent, and intimate with her brilliant Australian humour thrown into the mix. Janine is a beacon of what's possible for trauma sufferers, spinal injury patients, and women as a whole. Kudos to this remarkable, yet humble, Australian. Get your hands on this book and be prepared to be reminded of your own personal power because Janine has an uncanny ability to tell her extraordinary story in such a way as to remind us all that we have the capacity to make the most of lives, even in trying circumstances.
February 2, 2017
An inspiring read
There are many aspects of this book that are inspiring. Choose what works for you. The most interesting part for me was the second half. If you google the authors TED talk, her narrative will come alive. Seeing her upright and speaking enhances her writing style.
There are many aspects of this book that are inspiring. Choose what works for you. The most interesting part for me was the second half. If you google the authors TED talk, her narrative will come alive. Seeing her upright and speaking enhances her writing style.
December 23, 2016
Outstanding on every level. Janine Shepherd is a fierce and brave spirit with a wide awareness of life and capacity building. I opened this book at the end of a work day, and didn't shut it until i finished reading the whole book.
Well written and inspiring
i
Well written and inspiring
i
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews