Shifting Gears: From Anxiety and Addiction to a Triathlon World Championship

by Adam Hill

It was never part of Adam Hill's life ambition or his genetic constitution to wear a Speedo in public, let alone compete in a triathlon. For the first three decades of life, he was the poster child for non-athleticism, obsessively unhealthy habits, and an intense fear of...well...everything.
Yet at the age of thirty-three, with a physique that could only be described as "Sasquatch with a Dad Bod," he put aside his insecurities and took his first step toward an outrageous to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
It was a dream shared by nearly every other triathlete in the world, reserved for the top 1 percent of all athletes in the sport-a sport in which Adam had exactly zero experience.
In Shifting Gears, Adam shares his harrowing, inspiring, and sometimes-clumsy story of transformation, from the origins of a debilitating anxiety disorder to his battle with alcoholism to his rise to the top of the triathlon world stage.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

306 pages, Hardcover

Published February 8, 2022

Reviews

[Andrew Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insidious aspect of mental illness is our need to conceal it. We exert so much effort keeping this part of ourselves inside that we end up trapped inside with it. While it would have been so easy to use his mental health issues as an anchor, Adam chose to use it as a launching point for a big, hairy, audacious goal. He shows a journey that had definite increments, several setbacks, and, even after accomplishing the goal, a journey that continues well beyond the 306 pages. Shifting Gears should inspire anybody whose inner challenges hold us back from conquering fear, realizing dreams, achieving the seemingly impossible.

[Sansan Gilbreath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as I received it free from goodreads . It really isn’t a book I would have probably chosen otherwise . I ended up learning some valuable information . He was very clear in relaying what it was like to feel the shame and pain of having depression anxiety and alcoholism . I hope I can be a more understanding and compassionate person from what I’ve learned .

[Emily Geyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love a sports memoir, especially Ironman! So inspiring!