The book Stronger: From Trials to Triathlete to Triumphant by local author Lindsey Jacobs was named winner of the “Sports: Nonfiction” category in the 2020 New York City Big Book Award.

“It’s so exciting and validating,” said Jacobs. “I was sitting at home on a weekend and I got an email from my publisher that I’d won. I was super happy that my husband and kids were at home with me. I was in complete shock at first. I really could not believe what I was seeing.”

Jacobs wrote the 200-page memoir over the course of several years as she was coping with the aftermath of a suffocating marriage and divorce. Overwhelmed with unknowns, her lifeline — her way back to herself — was through the one thing that had remained constant: running. Running led her to the world of endurance sports and eventually the Ironman: swimming, biking, and running in a contest that challenged her physical and emotional reserves but also helped guide her back to her potential.

“It started as sort of a motivational book for athletes. But as I wrote it, it became more of an autobiography, and it continued to heal me,” Jacobs said. “People tell me they appreciate the honesty and vulnerability presented in the book. It was scary to put some of that personal stuff out there, but it has been met with such support. [The experience] has been amazing.”

The paperback book is available for purchase on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

Author: Brad Kovach is the editor/publisher of Terrain Magazine.