Against the Wind

Lee Dipietro Skyhorse Publishing 2015

“So I hear you are quite an accomplished runner and triathlete?” Initially taken aback by the surgeon’s words, Lee Dipietro would soon come to understand the purpose of the question: the discipline and tenacity that led her to become one of the country’s top-ranked athletes would help her and her family persevere through the most challenging year of their life.

Dipietro joined the ranks of professional athletes relatively late in life, often toeing the start line amongst female competitors nearly half her age. What began as a passion for long-distance running eventually led her to triathlons, including a sixth-place finish at the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Shortly after hanging up her racing shoes, Dipietro encountered a harrowing experience that no mother ought to face: as her cancer-striken husband was about to go under the knife to have his tumour removed, her son suffered a devastating accident requiring life-saving surgery in a city hundreds of miles away. All of this occurred while she was still grieving her sister’s suicide a few months prior. For the following months, Dipietro delicately balanced the roles of wife, mother and nurse while travelling between cities to provide support and courage throughout the countless surgeries and chemotherapy sessions. During this ordeal, Dipietro relied heavily on her daily runs to keep her focused and to provide the necessary strength and stamina.

Against the Wind is a powerful memoir that depicts Dipietro’s strength, dedication and resilience to adversity, and can be an inspiration to others whose lives have been affected by cancer.–