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Driven: How adversity helped me find my greatest potential
Steph (Hammerman) Roach has been motivating herself and others her entire life. Since defying the odds by surviving as a one-pound, fifteen-ounce baby and weeks later being diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy, to beating Hodgkin's Lymphoma Stage 3B cancer in 2016, Steph has been a living example of overcoming seemingly insurmountable objects in order to achieve the impossible.
250 pages, Hardcover
Published September 20, 2022
2 people are currently reading
1252 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 1, 2022
An Uplifting, Motivating True Story of an Amazing Woman
Driven, by Steph Hammerman, is a wonderful book. It is an autobiographical account of the life so far of a young woman athlete, coach, entrepreneur, writer and all-around dynamo. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Coach Steph has had her share of challenges and setbacks. However, armed with strong supportive relationships and a positive “can do” spirit, she has met every obstacle head-on with hard work, creativity and passion. Several years ago, she earned certification as a cross-fit trainer and proceeded to establish a fitness and training business, Staying Driven LLC. Staying Driven conducts daily online classes for customers throughout the United States and beyond, many of whom are affected by Cerebral Palsy or another condition.
My own life story has a few similarities with Coach Steph’s - I was born with Cerebral Palsy, grew up in a big family, have an able-bodied twin and was educated in the mainstream environment. Also like Coach Steph, I have faced certain fears and doubts throughout my life, including about my ability to compete in athletics. Coach Steph’s book, and participating in Staying Driven’s online classes for the last two years, have reinforced in me that obstacles in life represent opportunities to improve myself and realize my potential.
Thank you, Coach Steph, for sharing with everyone your life story including your passion for functional fitness and dedication to the disabled community. Most of all, thank you for motivating me and countless others to be our best!
Driven, by Steph Hammerman, is a wonderful book. It is an autobiographical account of the life so far of a young woman athlete, coach, entrepreneur, writer and all-around dynamo. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Coach Steph has had her share of challenges and setbacks. However, armed with strong supportive relationships and a positive “can do” spirit, she has met every obstacle head-on with hard work, creativity and passion. Several years ago, she earned certification as a cross-fit trainer and proceeded to establish a fitness and training business, Staying Driven LLC. Staying Driven conducts daily online classes for customers throughout the United States and beyond, many of whom are affected by Cerebral Palsy or another condition.
My own life story has a few similarities with Coach Steph’s - I was born with Cerebral Palsy, grew up in a big family, have an able-bodied twin and was educated in the mainstream environment. Also like Coach Steph, I have faced certain fears and doubts throughout my life, including about my ability to compete in athletics. Coach Steph’s book, and participating in Staying Driven’s online classes for the last two years, have reinforced in me that obstacles in life represent opportunities to improve myself and realize my potential.
Thank you, Coach Steph, for sharing with everyone your life story including your passion for functional fitness and dedication to the disabled community. Most of all, thank you for motivating me and countless others to be our best!
April 24, 2022
Couldn’t put it down!
What an incredible story! Steph is the best of all of us. Her story and her storytelling are both like no other. If more people had her perspectives on life, people, hard work, failure, love, loyalty, and just being a better human being than you were yesterday…the world would be a better place. I can’t recommend this book enough and hope she writes more!
What an incredible story! Steph is the best of all of us. Her story and her storytelling are both like no other. If more people had her perspectives on life, people, hard work, failure, love, loyalty, and just being a better human being than you were yesterday…the world would be a better place. I can’t recommend this book enough and hope she writes more!
April 27, 2022
Steph is amazing!! She demonstrates courage, resilience and tenacity despite many daunting challenges. She also has the most beautiful and kind spirit and a loving heart. This book is totally her voice and it’s really great to be able to read along and join her on her special journey. This is a wonderful memoir.
November 6, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had no doubt that this book would get ALL the stars from me, but I just wanted to make it clear that was the end result.
Steph talks about the difference between inspiration and motivation and why she values one over the other, and she’s motivated me to restart my current membership to the YMCA so I have a physical gym to attend AND get a membership through hers to have an accessible online option!!
Steph’s story and mine have so many similarities and parallels, and I needed to know hers to literally and figuratively continue to push mine forward.
Run, walk, wheel, as fast as you can (or at minimum Amazon Prime it to your doorstep) to get this book into your hands!!
Steph deserves an army of fighters behind her as she continues to write more chapters of her life from here on out.
I hope I’ll begin to see and hear about soon what she motivates you to do with your own life!!
I had no doubt that this book would get ALL the stars from me, but I just wanted to make it clear that was the end result.
Steph talks about the difference between inspiration and motivation and why she values one over the other, and she’s motivated me to restart my current membership to the YMCA so I have a physical gym to attend AND get a membership through hers to have an accessible online option!!
Steph’s story and mine have so many similarities and parallels, and I needed to know hers to literally and figuratively continue to push mine forward.
Run, walk, wheel, as fast as you can (or at minimum Amazon Prime it to your doorstep) to get this book into your hands!!
Steph deserves an army of fighters behind her as she continues to write more chapters of her life from here on out.
I hope I’ll begin to see and hear about soon what she motivates you to do with your own life!!
December 2, 2022
Low value 3 stars. Decent book for those with disabilities and have familiarity with the CrossFit industry and lingo.
At times acronyms were used instead of the full description ((IEP vs Individualized Education Plan) or used to frequently (particularly CP ), not spelled out in later chapters, which would have helped those unfamiliar with terminology. Found explanations of CrossFit exercises confusing, not descriptive enough for novices (partially me).
The book needed better proofreading, copy editing towards the end and spacing. Paragraphs were italicized when not needed
Book lacked emotional connection somehow. How did Steph feel when teased, going through chemo, etc.
At times acronyms were used instead of the full description ((IEP vs Individualized Education Plan) or used to frequently (particularly CP ), not spelled out in later chapters, which would have helped those unfamiliar with terminology. Found explanations of CrossFit exercises confusing, not descriptive enough for novices (partially me).
The book needed better proofreading, copy editing towards the end and spacing. Paragraphs were italicized when not needed
Book lacked emotional connection somehow. How did Steph feel when teased, going through chemo, etc.
May 29, 2022
Steph Hammerman’s story and mine have some similar threads. We both have Cerebral Palsy due to premature birth. We both are the girl in girl-boy twins, we both met our future spouses through the wonders of technology, and we both work in professions where someone with a physical disability is a bit on an anomaly.
The thing that stood out about this book (and that I greatly appreciated) was Steph’s honesty. She doesn’t try to sugarcoat her struggles or frustrations, including when well-meaning individuals insist on telling her what an “inspiration” her day-to-day is (I so understood where she was coming from). Through her storytelling style Steph helps the reader to understand that the life of a person with a disability is not all that different than someone who is not disabled.
The thing that stood out about this book (and that I greatly appreciated) was Steph’s honesty. She doesn’t try to sugarcoat her struggles or frustrations, including when well-meaning individuals insist on telling her what an “inspiration” her day-to-day is (I so understood where she was coming from). Through her storytelling style Steph helps the reader to understand that the life of a person with a disability is not all that different than someone who is not disabled.
March 10, 2023
Wonderful Story
I loved this book. Steph is honest and tells it like it is, staying true to herself. If you need motivation to be the best version of yourself…Read this book!
I loved this book. Steph is honest and tells it like it is, staying true to herself. If you need motivation to be the best version of yourself…Read this book!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews