A Mile in Her Shoes

Book excerpt: It's a story about balancing competition with compassion, about focusing on individual goals without losing sight of life's bigger picture, and realizing the great influences that can be made by people who would rarely be considered great. A modern twist on the classic underdog, it's high school track meets Rocky...or Rudy. Rae had lived a tumultuous young life. Having lost both parents by the age of eleven, she was sent to live with her Uncle Joe. Joe was both polarizing and unfiltered, but under his guidance, Rae found solid footing, not just in life, but also on the track, where she had become a captain and a standout miler for the Morris High School track team. As Morris' head track coach, Joe was as unconventional as he was successful. Not only had he won dozens of team titles, at some point throughout his career, he'd coached a state champion in every event...except the mile. Rae was determined to win it for him, during this, her senior season. Rae's single-minded approach was thrown for a loop when Izzy showed up at Morris. As a student with autism, joining the track team could be Izzy's path to inclusion. Rae wanted to take the new girl under her wing, but Joe was against it, knowing the distraction would affect Rae's training and her pursuit of her own personal glory. What transpired was a season full of laughter and tears, triumph and heartbreak, reminding us all that in life's great race, the winner isn't always determined by a stopwatch.