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The Impossible Mile
An incredible story of Johnny Agar, born with cerebral palsy and whom doctors thought would never walk, overcoming the odds to compete in Ironman triathlons. Featured on ESPN, NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, and other media outlets, Johnny delivers a moving memoir that is a testament to the power of family, faith, and extraordinary courage.
In The Impossible Mile, told with candor and lightened with humor, Johnny shows what is possible time and time again. His story starts in a Michigan hospital, where he is born eleven weeks premature. An ultrasound reveals bleeding on his brain, and he is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition that hinders a person’s ability to control muscle movement. Doctors say he will likely have intellectual disabilities and that he will never walk. Despite the pending challenges, Johnny’s parents choose to raise their firstborn without limitations on his abilities. This decision would forever shape Johnny’s life, his enduring belief in himself and his dreams.
Growing up, Johnny aspires to be an athlete like his father, Jeff, once a professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers organization. Sports was in the young boy’s blood. But how could he become an athlete? He can’t walk unassisted, and his muscles have a mind of their own. To give Johnny a taste of competition, the father and son start participating in 5K road races, Jeff pushing Johnny in a modified wheelchair.
Until one day Johnny has a bold idea. He will chase his dream—literally—of becoming an athlete by walking part of a race. More than just the few steps he has taken in therapy, he decides that to truly become an athlete he needs to go further. Assisted by his father, Johnny trains for his first impossible mile. What he doesn’t know is that his bold idea will do more than change just his life forever.
Johnny’s story shows the impact of a life lived to its fullest, from the first difficult steps in training, to becoming a brand ambassador for global apparel company Under Armour. He now serves as an inspiration for not only other professional athletes, but for anyone facing their own impossible mile. Come walk a mile in Johnny’s shoes, and realize, as Johnny did, you never walk alone, and anything is possible, if you’ll just take on life one step at a time.
In The Impossible Mile, told with candor and lightened with humor, Johnny shows what is possible time and time again. His story starts in a Michigan hospital, where he is born eleven weeks premature. An ultrasound reveals bleeding on his brain, and he is diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a condition that hinders a person’s ability to control muscle movement. Doctors say he will likely have intellectual disabilities and that he will never walk. Despite the pending challenges, Johnny’s parents choose to raise their firstborn without limitations on his abilities. This decision would forever shape Johnny’s life, his enduring belief in himself and his dreams.
Growing up, Johnny aspires to be an athlete like his father, Jeff, once a professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers organization. Sports was in the young boy’s blood. But how could he become an athlete? He can’t walk unassisted, and his muscles have a mind of their own. To give Johnny a taste of competition, the father and son start participating in 5K road races, Jeff pushing Johnny in a modified wheelchair.
Until one day Johnny has a bold idea. He will chase his dream—literally—of becoming an athlete by walking part of a race. More than just the few steps he has taken in therapy, he decides that to truly become an athlete he needs to go further. Assisted by his father, Johnny trains for his first impossible mile. What he doesn’t know is that his bold idea will do more than change just his life forever.
Johnny’s story shows the impact of a life lived to its fullest, from the first difficult steps in training, to becoming a brand ambassador for global apparel company Under Armour. He now serves as an inspiration for not only other professional athletes, but for anyone facing their own impossible mile. Come walk a mile in Johnny’s shoes, and realize, as Johnny did, you never walk alone, and anything is possible, if you’ll just take on life one step at a time.
- GenresNonfictionMemoirSports
272 pages, Hardcover
First published September 21, 2021
15 people are currently reading
1447 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 22, 2022
WOW! I am ending my reading year with some amazing books! This book has made me tear up more than any other book I have ever read! 😭❤️Seriously, tears were running down my face throughout the pages! Such an inspiring, no limits, encouraging, faith-filled, heartfelt, and miraculous story! Johnny and his family/friends are truly a testament to God’s plans for our lives! I love how his mom describes “God incidences” as my mom says something similar: “a God thing”, when something really cool works out to serve others or happens perfectly! (Other people may call them coincidences, but Christians know that that is God working in our lives-I think that’s why I cried so much with this book) Highly highly recommend!
December 30, 2021
This was a very good book, the use of personal experiences was not over powering. The story was very powerful, a lot of inspiration and passion int his book. I love the use of personal thoughts. Overall a great book and very inspiring story.
February 10, 2022
Couldn’t put this down. Johnny and his family’s love and faith is incredibly inspiring. An uplifting and grounding read that I highly recommend.
May 26, 2025
Wow! This is an amazing story of a determined young man becoming an athlete against all odds. This should be a “must read” for new parents faced with raising a special needs child. Johnny Agar walks through the importance of family faith, parents’ unconditional love and sacrifices for the family bond. His life is incredible - in its perspective, its determination and its gratitude as well as what he has been able to achieve and experience! One of the best memoirs I have read!
Johnny & Becki, I worked with Jeff at Ford during our early career days. I remember Jeff’s last day at Ford when he told our team about your family and the hope he had for his son’s progress. I never forgot that uniquely human moment in the middle of corporate “fire drills” when the next meeting and analysis had overblown importance. I’m so glad that your family’s journey has been a happy one — surrounded by the love of a great community of family and friends!
Johnny & Becki, I worked with Jeff at Ford during our early career days. I remember Jeff’s last day at Ford when he told our team about your family and the hope he had for his son’s progress. I never forgot that uniquely human moment in the middle of corporate “fire drills” when the next meeting and analysis had overblown importance. I’m so glad that your family’s journey has been a happy one — surrounded by the love of a great community of family and friends!
December 26, 2021
I had heard of Johnny Agar and his father, like so many had, through various media outlets. I didn't realize they had a book! One of my favorite aspects of this story was getting an inside look at an experience with Cerebral Palsy. I didn't realize there was such a spectrum of experiences with it, nor had I (embarrassingly) spent much time studying the condition. I feel like Johnny and his mother gave me an opportunity to vicariously experience CP through their story. WOW. I'm so grateful to take this into every conversation I have with someone who has CP or is talking about it! They did an incredible job conveying a person having such deep longing, aspirations, dreams... and feeling so limited by their body. Yet also deciding to not be as limited as the world wants to tell them they have to be. SO powerful!
The energy of the book really picked up just over halfway through when they began entering races. Johnny's first experience in a race was told SO WELL that my own heart was pounding, as if cheering them on from the sideline as well. In fact, that was me in every race shared. I felt like I was walking (swimming, biking, training) RIGHT THERE with them - it was incredible.
My reason for deducting a star was that there was a lot of repetition in the book... it was overly communicated how much he loved athletics and how much his family were incredible supports. They were - what a blessing to have such a family! It just became redundant at points, in some places almost feeling repeated verbatim. Also, I REALLY wish it had been told more chronologically. I got lost on numerous occasions trying to track his age and development, which as a reader I found fascinating. He'd been told he wouldn't talk... when did he start speaking? At times we'd get a story of him at 10 or 17, and then be back to age 4. I can understand jumping around a little bit, but I found myself frequently confused about the timeline and wishing I could track him through life better versus these vignettes that appeared sometimes at random, other times in connection to a different story but still leading to confusion.
ALL IN ALL, however, I think this is a very worthy read and I highly recommend this book to anyone. You can't NOT walk away inspired.
The energy of the book really picked up just over halfway through when they began entering races. Johnny's first experience in a race was told SO WELL that my own heart was pounding, as if cheering them on from the sideline as well. In fact, that was me in every race shared. I felt like I was walking (swimming, biking, training) RIGHT THERE with them - it was incredible.
My reason for deducting a star was that there was a lot of repetition in the book... it was overly communicated how much he loved athletics and how much his family were incredible supports. They were - what a blessing to have such a family! It just became redundant at points, in some places almost feeling repeated verbatim. Also, I REALLY wish it had been told more chronologically. I got lost on numerous occasions trying to track his age and development, which as a reader I found fascinating. He'd been told he wouldn't talk... when did he start speaking? At times we'd get a story of him at 10 or 17, and then be back to age 4. I can understand jumping around a little bit, but I found myself frequently confused about the timeline and wishing I could track him through life better versus these vignettes that appeared sometimes at random, other times in connection to a different story but still leading to confusion.
ALL IN ALL, however, I think this is a very worthy read and I highly recommend this book to anyone. You can't NOT walk away inspired.
July 1, 2022
I usually don’t write many book reviews, but I wanted to for this one.
I really liked this book. I heard about it from my friend who was reading it. She had told me a little bit about Johnny shortly after I started participating in races. I didn’t really know that much about him, but I decided that I wanted to read his book. Are there stories that are at least similar to this out there? Absolutely. But it’s a little bit different when you are actually becoming in the thick of things. I picked it up after I started participating in myTeam Triumph. I am a fairly new captain, but I’ve enjoyed myself immensely. There were a lot of heartwarming, funny, and touching scenes in this book. And Johnny is someone that I can relate to directly, though I don’t have the same disability. I am also, affectionately, of course, very envious of what I never had that he did/does. So much support and unconditional love from everyone around him, even going to extremes. Although I had love and support in my family, my circumstances were extremely different. Only a little while ago was I able to start taking control of my own life.
Anyway, I digress. I’m very glad that I read this, and I will also now be a big supporter of a couple of brands that I did not know sponsored him.
I was hoping that I would meet Johnny, and possibly his family, when I participated in this year‘s Johnny’s run. Oh well… There’s always another day. LOL.
I will end this review by saying that if there are not a lot of people that know about this book and the man who wrote it, then that needs to change. Also, maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to read a second book.
I really liked this book. I heard about it from my friend who was reading it. She had told me a little bit about Johnny shortly after I started participating in races. I didn’t really know that much about him, but I decided that I wanted to read his book. Are there stories that are at least similar to this out there? Absolutely. But it’s a little bit different when you are actually becoming in the thick of things. I picked it up after I started participating in myTeam Triumph. I am a fairly new captain, but I’ve enjoyed myself immensely. There were a lot of heartwarming, funny, and touching scenes in this book. And Johnny is someone that I can relate to directly, though I don’t have the same disability. I am also, affectionately, of course, very envious of what I never had that he did/does. So much support and unconditional love from everyone around him, even going to extremes. Although I had love and support in my family, my circumstances were extremely different. Only a little while ago was I able to start taking control of my own life.
Anyway, I digress. I’m very glad that I read this, and I will also now be a big supporter of a couple of brands that I did not know sponsored him.
I was hoping that I would meet Johnny, and possibly his family, when I participated in this year‘s Johnny’s run. Oh well… There’s always another day. LOL.
I will end this review by saying that if there are not a lot of people that know about this book and the man who wrote it, then that needs to change. Also, maybe one day I’ll be lucky enough to read a second book.
September 12, 2021
When Jeff and Becki Agar decide to have their first child they were told there were going to be some issues being that he was eleven weeks early. This child is Johnny Agar and along with his mother Becki are the author's of this book. When Johnny was diagnosed with cerebral palsy his parents did not want to have treated like he was affected with this problem as they wanted to him to figure things around his limitations. They worked on giving him all options from literally around the world to help strive what you might call a normal life. Jeff knowing that there were some limitations concerning sports and competing came up with away that they could do it together and this is how this story goes and continues in their life. The dedication this family has to make this happen is amazing. The only thing that maybe a tad frustrating his the timeline does jump back and forth. This is one ultimate stories in determination. When you finish this book and only after you finish reading it go to Youtube and look up this story.
April 27, 2022
Was an ok book. I wasn't a fan of how the writing skipped around with the chronology of things and wished the editors had done a better job of organizing the writing in the chapters better. But, I'm probably a bit harsher critic, since I'm living in their world too. And it's not exactly as the "sunshine and roses" and the book seemed to portrait is as. Maybe if you have a strong family support like they did, and friends who don't run for the hills when shit gets hard, it would be sunnier. But the reality for most in this type of a situation is, once your child grows out of the cute baby stage, and it's still intense and scary with lots of unknowns and struggles - the people who you thought would always be there for you & your child and were important in your life - scatter faster then leaves falling from the trees on a windy fall day!
October 7, 2021
When Johnny Agar, who was born with cerebral palsy, couldn’t walk, he decided to learn—and walk the last mile of a 5K with his dad. (That mile took almost two hours, by the way… Such determination and grit.) And he hasn’t stopped since. The father-son have finished Ironmans, including the attempt of back-to-back races. Who does that?!
Johnny and his mother, Becki, wrote his story with such candor, and Johnny’s humor and authenticity shine through. As you read along, you’ll feel as though you know Johnny, someone you call a friend. You’ll cheer for him, cry for him, and laugh with him. His story might also convict you to take a good look at your life and inspire you to tackle your impossible mile.
Johnny and his mother, Becki, wrote his story with such candor, and Johnny’s humor and authenticity shine through. As you read along, you’ll feel as though you know Johnny, someone you call a friend. You’ll cheer for him, cry for him, and laugh with him. His story might also convict you to take a good look at your life and inspire you to tackle your impossible mile.
May 28, 2022
I absolutely loved reading Jonny's story. I know Jonny and have enjoyed participating in races as a fellow captain alongside him with MyTeam Triumph. I love the lessons in this book, and I especially love that even through the tough and embarrassing times, Jonny and his family have found the humor through it all. I definitely recommend this book. Reading this book makes me want to take on a new challenge.
January 10, 2022
This is a very inspiring book to read. I appreciate the inside look into cerebral palsy. Johnny's perseverance throughout the book and the way that he viewed "losing" gave me a different outlook on things in my own life. The love that this family shares with each other throughout the book is profound and is a great example. Thanks for sharing your story!
February 12, 2022
Such an inspiring and encouraging story! What a beautiful story Johnny tells of his life and the support system of his family so that he could achieve his goals. His grit and determination in being able to participate in races is so beautiful, it was hard to put the book down. I loved his ability to add humor to situations that were very difficult in order to move forward. So inspiring!
March 26, 2025
The inspirational story of Johnny Agar, born with cerebral palsy, who set for himself what seemed to be impossible goals in his life: riding a bicycle, walking, finishing a mile run. He tells of competing in triathlons with his father and how he was encouraged by family, faith, celebrities, and other athletes — for that is what Johnny wants to be known as: an athlete.
December 29, 2021
I enjoyed this book. It’s an easy read but super inspiring around how a doctor counseled them and how Johnny’s parents rallied around Johnny’s health challenges. And of course, how Johnny himself has dealt with and fought through.
November 28, 2021
Absolutely wonderful read
December 24, 2021
This was an interesting and inspiring book.
January 13, 2022
A truly inspiring story that made me cry many times. A great read. God bless this young man & his family.
January 16, 2022
Loved this! Thank you Johnny for helping me put things back into the right perspective!
April 17, 2022
It bounces around a little bit to start, but keep going. This is absolutely one of the most inspiring and heartwarming stories of a life well lived lessons learned along the way.
January 6, 2023
Life changing. I’ll let anyone borrow this book and I dare you not to cry. As a mother with a special needs child, this one hits hard.
January 10, 2023
3.9/5. An inspiring and encouraging story that pulls on the heartstrings throughout. Decently written
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July 7, 2023Inspiring. Especially enjoyed the west Michigan connection
January 10, 2025
This book was absolutely fantastic. I felt so many emotions while reading it and connecting with Johnny. He is truly an inspiration and it is a must read.
December 12, 2023
Received as part of a Goodreads giveaway. I couldn't really get into the story but that was no fault of the author. It was well written.
July 7, 2023
Big feel good story. Good book though
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews