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Community Corner

Local Author Presents Uplifting True-Life Tale

Author and journalist Mike Vitez stops by the Moorestown Library next week to talk about his new book, "The Road Back: A Journey of Grace and Grit."

Local author and journalist Mike Vitez will visit the Moorestown Library next week to present his new book, The Road Back: A Journey of Grace and Grit, which tells the true story of a University of Virginia triathlete’s horrifying bike accident and his astonishing and inspiring recovery.

The author describes the story this way:

“Matt Miller of Wayne, PA, had been a college swimmer, but didn't love it enough to continue. In the summer between his sophomore and junior years at the University of Virginia, he discovered the sport of triathlons. He loved the bike, he loved running, and best of all he loved the combination of all three. He loved the cross-training, and pushing himself. In the fall of his junior year, out for an 85-mile training ride, Matt and two classmates had just pedaled up a mountain pass on a beautiful autumn day. He was on top of the world in so many ways—in
love, with dreams of attending medical school, so fit his resting pulse was 42! As he cycled along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, relaxed and happy, the hardest part of his ride behind him, Matt rolled off the crown of the road onto the shoulder, lost control of his bike, and swerved back across the double yellow line into an oncoming Porsche. He broke every bone in his face, suffered severe brain injury and stopped breathing. He lay there on the asphalt on
this remote mountaintop road, still clipped into his pedals. In what the family believes is a miracle, the first person on the scene happened to be an anesthesiologist—the best person in the world to start someone breathing again, to open an airway. The doctor was out for a foliage tour with his wife. The real story of The Road Back is not just what happened on the mountain, but what happened after. The Road Back is not only about a young man’s drive to reclaim his life, but about the people who rode with him, rescued him, helped him heal, and saw up close his amazing comeback.”

Vitez, who writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer, calls the story “not only a celebration of a life, and a riveting drama, but also an example of an America that shines. Just when you feel like you can’t escape the rancor in our political life, or feel like the country is beginning to decline, this book is a tonic. America worked. Our emergency responders got there in time and saved him. The doctors and nurses rebuilt him and restored him and gave him care he likely wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else in the world. His family supported and healed him—a model of how families should function, especially in crisis.”

Join us at 7 p.m. next Thursday, Oct. 25, at the library to meet the author of this true-life story of incredible determination and courage. Signed copies of the book will be available for purchase. Space is limited, so please call the Reference Desk at 856-234-0333 to register for this free program.

Visit Mike Vitez's website to learn more about the author and his book.

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