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A Mile at a Time: A Father and Son's Inspiring Alzheimer's Journey of Love, Adventure, and Hope
An inspiring memoir about a father and son entering World's Toughest Eco-Challenge Fiji despite one of them battling Alzheimer’s.
“Travis and Mace have touched a generation of families around the world with their courage, resilience and kindness.”
-- Bear Grylls, star of Man vs. Wild and host of World’s Toughest Eco-Challenge Fiji
“Watching Mark and Travis Macy compete together for Eco-Challenge Fiji was a true inspiration. Travis’s selfless act of taking his father on what may be his last race is a story that anyone can relate to and what we need more of these days.”
--Mark Burnett, chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group; creator and producer of Survivor, The Apprentice, and World’s Toughest Eco-Challenge Fiji
In October 2018, Mark “Mace” Macy, sixty-four years old, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Mace had spent thirty years competing in Colorado and around the world in ultra-endurance competitions and is one of the few people who have finished all eight Eco-Challenge events. Once diagnosed, Mace feared losing endurance, strength, and independence.
Mace's son Travis, also a professional endurance athlete, also struggled to see his father battling the disease. In 2019 they decided to participate in World's Toughest Race—a seven-day, grueling 400-mile marathon of trekking, climbing, biking, and paddling through the jungle—for one final race together.
Weaving excerpts from Mace's passionate personal journals alongside a first-person narrative by Travis, A Mile at a Time tells the story of this incredible journey and what both father and son learned along the way.
A powerful story about living—and thriving—with a disease that impacts nearly six million Americans. This timely, and deeply moving father-son adventure sheds light on the hard truths of this disease while giving readers hope of all that still can be achieved.
“Travis and Mace have touched a generation of families around the world with their courage, resilience and kindness.”
-- Bear Grylls, star of Man vs. Wild and host of World’s Toughest Eco-Challenge Fiji
“Watching Mark and Travis Macy compete together for Eco-Challenge Fiji was a true inspiration. Travis’s selfless act of taking his father on what may be his last race is a story that anyone can relate to and what we need more of these days.”
--Mark Burnett, chairman of MGM Worldwide Television Group; creator and producer of Survivor, The Apprentice, and World’s Toughest Eco-Challenge Fiji
In October 2018, Mark “Mace” Macy, sixty-four years old, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Mace had spent thirty years competing in Colorado and around the world in ultra-endurance competitions and is one of the few people who have finished all eight Eco-Challenge events. Once diagnosed, Mace feared losing endurance, strength, and independence.
Mace's son Travis, also a professional endurance athlete, also struggled to see his father battling the disease. In 2019 they decided to participate in World's Toughest Race—a seven-day, grueling 400-mile marathon of trekking, climbing, biking, and paddling through the jungle—for one final race together.
Weaving excerpts from Mace's passionate personal journals alongside a first-person narrative by Travis, A Mile at a Time tells the story of this incredible journey and what both father and son learned along the way.
A powerful story about living—and thriving—with a disease that impacts nearly six million Americans. This timely, and deeply moving father-son adventure sheds light on the hard truths of this disease while giving readers hope of all that still can be achieved.
240 pages, Hardcover
Published March 14, 2023
4 people are currently reading
137 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
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June 2, 2025The tenacity and athleticism of this family (and friends) is jaw-dropping.
Favorite quote “go fast as you can and slow as you must”
Favorite quote “go fast as you can and slow as you must”
April 2, 2023
I would have enjoyed this more if I had skipped the first half of the book. I found it to be very repetitive, and I didn't need so much back story.
July 5, 2024
90% of the book is name-dropping events and people that, as someone who isn't into ultra-marathons etc., I found extremely boring and egotistical. I was expecting it to be more of an adventurous tale with insights into the alzheimer journey, but it's more like a memoir (brought to you by Amazon Prime!) with relevance only to the family and other people involved. As an outsider, this was an extremely arduous read about a Type A family that I could not relate to and wound up resenting.
January 1, 2026
2.5 ⭐️ I wish there was more journal entries from Mace’s point of view. His personal journey was the most interesting part. I wanted to hear more from him as he actually was the one with the disease. There were some really touching parts but a lot of it felt like we were just reading about Travis’s accolades.
June 7, 2023
Truly inspirational! I've never participated in adventure sports.... and I don't think I would ever want to! But I admire these guys for their dedication to the sport. I was not only impressed with the sport participants, but also their families who sacrifice so much so that the participants can do what they love!
Narration was great with clips interspersed by both Mark and Travis Macy, father and son.
Narration was great with clips interspersed by both Mark and Travis Macy, father and son.
September 1, 2023
I loved this book for so many reasons. One, I know the family and they are the kindest of people. I bike and hike the same trails. I would often see Mark on my rides up Evergreen Mountain. I always struggle on the uphill. Even though Mark would glide right past me, he would take a moment to say, “Keep hammerin’”! And, “you look strong!”. He knew what I needed to keep the pedals moving.
I was so sorry to hear of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. But, after reading this I somehow feel energized and eager to challenge myself on just about anything in my life.
I still see Mark out there doing his hill climbs. He’s no longer biking, but walks the hill near my home. He does more hill climbs in an hour than I do in a month.
Keep hammerin’ everyone! And, read this book. It will give you energy to take on the miles ahead.
I was so sorry to hear of his Alzheimer’s diagnosis. But, after reading this I somehow feel energized and eager to challenge myself on just about anything in my life.
I still see Mark out there doing his hill climbs. He’s no longer biking, but walks the hill near my home. He does more hill climbs in an hour than I do in a month.
Keep hammerin’ everyone! And, read this book. It will give you energy to take on the miles ahead.
August 13, 2023
A very disappointing book. The author was more interested in telling the story of his own endurance conquests than learning much about his father’s Alzheimer’s journey.
October 12, 2023
Essentially this is three books. It's a biography of Mark "Mace" Macy and his son. It's a racing book about the life of one of the greats in adventure racing. It's also a book about Alzheimer's, it's effect on a family and how to live with the disease.
I've always been a fan of endurance sports and adventure racing and there were always three athletes that I loved to watch compete. Ian Adamson (the G.O.A.T.), John Howard (the grandfather of the sport) and Mark Macy who was always the heart of what it means to be an adventure racer. I've watched them all from the very first Eco-Challenge.
This book centers around the latest Eco-Challenge that Mark and his son competed in after Mark had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It's touching, it's honest, it's uplifting. It's a well written, gripping story that I could not put down. A really good book.
I've always been a fan of endurance sports and adventure racing and there were always three athletes that I loved to watch compete. Ian Adamson (the G.O.A.T.), John Howard (the grandfather of the sport) and Mark Macy who was always the heart of what it means to be an adventure racer. I've watched them all from the very first Eco-Challenge.
This book centers around the latest Eco-Challenge that Mark and his son competed in after Mark had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It's touching, it's honest, it's uplifting. It's a well written, gripping story that I could not put down. A really good book.
April 13, 2023
This was a wholesome, and unfortunately relatable book. Having unexpectedly lost my own father, I could relate to the anger, frustration, and grief that Travis experienced with his own father's terminal diagnosis. The heartache shared by both Travis and Mace was palpable.
As a fellow adventure racer, I was drawn to the book hoping to read more about their 2019 Eco Challenge experience, however only a small portion of the book truly dove into that. Rather, it heavily focused on Mace's Alzheimers diagnosis, as well as current medical evidence/treatments available to ALZ patients. It was still a good read, just not what I was anticipating, which I fully admit was my own fault.
As a fellow adventure racer, I was drawn to the book hoping to read more about their 2019 Eco Challenge experience, however only a small portion of the book truly dove into that. Rather, it heavily focused on Mace's Alzheimers diagnosis, as well as current medical evidence/treatments available to ALZ patients. It was still a good read, just not what I was anticipating, which I fully admit was my own fault.
January 18, 2025
Inspirational. Celebration of life and the desire to live life doing what you love no matter the odds against you. Heavily detailed about extreme sports challenges but that helps the reader understand the sacrifices elite athletes make .
June 21, 2023
Kind of all over the place. If it had a better flow it'd be an easy 5 stars
August 21, 2023
An excellent book. I HIGHLY recommend to anyone who has a family member with ALZ and for anyone that needs to be inspired.
November 13, 2023
Audiobook: enjoyed listening to this story of adventure, family and dealing with a cruel disease. Inspirational family. What energy. What positive approach.
July 2, 2024
DNF - Do not forget. Hit me hard.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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