
Cycle of Hope: A Journey from Paralysis to Possibility
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $19.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Aven Shore
-
By:
-
Tricia Downing
About this listen
At 31, Tricia Downing was in the best shape of her life. In the summer of 2000, Tricia, an avid cyclist, drove across the country for what amounted to 18 races in 23 days. She returned from her adventure to a fresh start: a new job awaited her, and determined to make the next summer the year she would make her mark on the world of cycling, she began a rigorous training strategy.
But on September 17, 2000, Tricia Downing's life took a detour. While training on her bicycle one sunny Colorado afternoon, Tricia collided with a car that turned directly in her path, and instantly became paralyzed from the chest down.
As a competitive road and track cyclist and lifelong athlete, losing the use of her legs is devastating on all accounts. As she re-learns to do everything from sitting straight up to navigating through her house in a wheelchair to returning to work and operating a handcycle, her grueling recovery takes her to the very core of her athletic mettle. This inner strength helps her to not only learn to live life as a paraplegic - a label that takes time to grow accustomed to - but to have the courage to return to the competitive sport she loves and almost lost. Determined to live life on her terms, Tricia turns her misfortune into opportunity, and is now a wheelchair racer, competing regularly in triathlons around the globe. Cycle of Hope chronicles Tricia's journey from the first terrifying moments of impact with the car through rehab and her emergence as a world-class athlete.
©2010, 2017 Tricia Downing (P)2018 Tricia DowningListeners also enjoyed...
-
How Far Can You Go?
- My 25-Year Quest to Walk Again
- By: John Maclean, Mark Tabb
- Narrated by: Mark Englhardt
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An inspirational memoir by a man who became an elite wheelchair athlete after suffering a catastrophic spinal injury and who finally walked again 25 years after his accident. After two years of intense physical therapy following his crippling accident, John Maclean set a new course for himself when his father encouraged him to embrace his new reality and asked: "How far can you go"? Inspired, Maclean became the first paraplegic to complete the Ironman World Championship and swim the English Channel before going on to win a silver medal for rowing at the 2008 Paralympic Games.
-
-
Inspirational and incredible journey
- By Eric on 03-13-25
By: John Maclean, and others
-
Little Big Steps
- A Life-Changing Injury and the Inspirational Journey to Overcome the Odds
- By: Arash Bayatmakou
- Narrated by: Arash Bayatmakou
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After 30 years of a healthy, rewarding, and exciting life, I wake up in a hospital bed unable to move. The neurosurgeon leans down and breaks the news: You won't regain any function in your body and you will never walk again. My medical insurance sends me home, discontinues my care, and tells me to "adapt to my new life". Little Big Steps is the story of the pivotal moments, interactions, and breakthroughs following the injury that turned my life upside down.
-
-
An absorbing story of courage and willpower
- By Patricia Lawrence on 05-15-22
By: Arash Bayatmakou
-
Iron Heart
- The True Story of How I Came Back from the Dead
- By: Brian Boyle, Bill Katovsky
- Narrated by: Robin Bloodworth
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the way home from swim practice, 18-year-old athlete Brian Boyle’s future changed in an instant when a dump truck plowed into his Camaro. He was airlifted to a shock-trauma hospital. He had lost sixty percent of his blood, his heart had moved across his chest, and his organs and pelvis were pulverized. He was placed in a medically-induced coma.
-
-
Uplifting and motivating
- By dale shahan on 05-28-21
By: Brian Boyle, and others
-
Endurance
- The Toby Price Story
- By: Toby Price
- Narrated by: James Sweeny
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Toby Price has lived a truly remarkable life, filled with ups, downs and every bump in the road imaginable: a childhood racing prodigy from the tender age of two - there was hardly a paddock that could contain him. After tearing through the junior ranks, taking out titles in both dirt track and motocross, Toby was living the dream, turning pro at 16 and joining the formidable KTM Racing team. Soon he was turning heads internationally and tapped to take on the most forbidding enduro courses the sport could throw at him.
-
-
Great insight into Dakar, and dirt bikes
- By Holdfastgreg on 01-11-24
By: Toby Price
-
On My Own Two Feet
- From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life
- By: Amy Purdy, Michelle Burford
- Narrated by: Amy Purdy, Jorjeana Marie
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this poignant and uplifting memoir, Dancing with the Stars sensation Amy Purdy reveals the story of how losing her legs led her to find a spiritual path. When the Las Vegas native was just nineteen, she came down with bacterial meningitis and was given less than a two percent chance of survival. In a near-death experience, she saw three figures who told her: “You can come with us, or you can stay. No matter what happens in your life, it's all going to make sense in the end." In that moment, Amy chose to live.
-
-
A Powerful Memoir of Truimph over Tragedy
- By ElizOF on 01-31-22
By: Amy Purdy, and others
-
The Hard Parts
- A Memoir of Courage and Triumph
- By: Oksana Masters, Cassidy Randall - contributor
- Narrated by: Emily Tremaine, Oksana Masters
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Oksana Masters was born in Ukraine—in the shadow of Chernobyl—seemingly with the odds stacked against her. She came into the world with one kidney, a partial stomach, six toes on each foot, webbed fingers, no right bicep, and no thumbs. Her left leg was six inches shorter than her right, and she was missing both tibias.
-
-
Strength is Oksana Masters
- By Trina Bull on 02-01-25
By: Oksana Masters, and others
-
How Far Can You Go?
- My 25-Year Quest to Walk Again
- By: John Maclean, Mark Tabb
- Narrated by: Mark Englhardt
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An inspirational memoir by a man who became an elite wheelchair athlete after suffering a catastrophic spinal injury and who finally walked again 25 years after his accident. After two years of intense physical therapy following his crippling accident, John Maclean set a new course for himself when his father encouraged him to embrace his new reality and asked: "How far can you go"? Inspired, Maclean became the first paraplegic to complete the Ironman World Championship and swim the English Channel before going on to win a silver medal for rowing at the 2008 Paralympic Games.
-
-
Inspirational and incredible journey
- By Eric on 03-13-25
By: John Maclean, and others
-
Little Big Steps
- A Life-Changing Injury and the Inspirational Journey to Overcome the Odds
- By: Arash Bayatmakou
- Narrated by: Arash Bayatmakou
- Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After 30 years of a healthy, rewarding, and exciting life, I wake up in a hospital bed unable to move. The neurosurgeon leans down and breaks the news: You won't regain any function in your body and you will never walk again. My medical insurance sends me home, discontinues my care, and tells me to "adapt to my new life". Little Big Steps is the story of the pivotal moments, interactions, and breakthroughs following the injury that turned my life upside down.
-
-
An absorbing story of courage and willpower
- By Patricia Lawrence on 05-15-22
By: Arash Bayatmakou
-
Iron Heart
- The True Story of How I Came Back from the Dead
- By: Brian Boyle, Bill Katovsky
- Narrated by: Robin Bloodworth
- Length: 7 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the way home from swim practice, 18-year-old athlete Brian Boyle’s future changed in an instant when a dump truck plowed into his Camaro. He was airlifted to a shock-trauma hospital. He had lost sixty percent of his blood, his heart had moved across his chest, and his organs and pelvis were pulverized. He was placed in a medically-induced coma.
-
-
Uplifting and motivating
- By dale shahan on 05-28-21
By: Brian Boyle, and others
-
Endurance
- The Toby Price Story
- By: Toby Price
- Narrated by: James Sweeny
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Toby Price has lived a truly remarkable life, filled with ups, downs and every bump in the road imaginable: a childhood racing prodigy from the tender age of two - there was hardly a paddock that could contain him. After tearing through the junior ranks, taking out titles in both dirt track and motocross, Toby was living the dream, turning pro at 16 and joining the formidable KTM Racing team. Soon he was turning heads internationally and tapped to take on the most forbidding enduro courses the sport could throw at him.
-
-
Great insight into Dakar, and dirt bikes
- By Holdfastgreg on 01-11-24
By: Toby Price
-
On My Own Two Feet
- From Losing My Legs to Learning the Dance of Life
- By: Amy Purdy, Michelle Burford
- Narrated by: Amy Purdy, Jorjeana Marie
- Length: 7 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this poignant and uplifting memoir, Dancing with the Stars sensation Amy Purdy reveals the story of how losing her legs led her to find a spiritual path. When the Las Vegas native was just nineteen, she came down with bacterial meningitis and was given less than a two percent chance of survival. In a near-death experience, she saw three figures who told her: “You can come with us, or you can stay. No matter what happens in your life, it's all going to make sense in the end." In that moment, Amy chose to live.
-
-
A Powerful Memoir of Truimph over Tragedy
- By ElizOF on 01-31-22
By: Amy Purdy, and others
-
The Hard Parts
- A Memoir of Courage and Triumph
- By: Oksana Masters, Cassidy Randall - contributor
- Narrated by: Emily Tremaine, Oksana Masters
- Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Oksana Masters was born in Ukraine—in the shadow of Chernobyl—seemingly with the odds stacked against her. She came into the world with one kidney, a partial stomach, six toes on each foot, webbed fingers, no right bicep, and no thumbs. Her left leg was six inches shorter than her right, and she was missing both tibias.
-
-
Strength is Oksana Masters
- By Trina Bull on 02-01-25
By: Oksana Masters, and others
-
Playing Hurt
- My Journey from Despair to Hope
- By: John Saunders, John U. Bacon
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Playing Hurt, a leading figure in the sports world - the quintessential "man's man" who seems to have it all - confesses his constant battle with depression. John Saunders welcomes listeners into the heart of his desperate struggle through insights into the root causes of depression and explanations of modern medical and homeopathic treatments.
-
-
A Story That Can Save Lives!
- By Mike on 02-16-18
By: John Saunders, and others
-
Running into the Dark
- A Blind Man’s Record-Setting Run Across America
- By: Jason Romero
- Narrated by: Gary Galone
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A man takes on the challenge of a lifetime after hitting rock bottom. He finds himself divorced, unemployed, and in a deep depression when a degenerative eye condition renders him blind with limited light perception. Feeling a calling to run across America, he dedicated the next two years of his life to prepare for, and ultimately run, more than 3,000 miles from California to New York in less than 60 days, averaging 51.5 miles per day, to log the seventh-fastest transcontinental foot crossing in the history of the world.
-
-
Inspiring
- By Richard on 06-05-18
By: Jason Romero
-
The Long Run
- One Man's Attempt to Regain his Athletic Career-and His Life-by Running the New York City Marathon
- By: Matthew Long, Charles Butler
- Narrated by: Matthew Del Negro
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the morning of December 22, 2005, New York City firefighter Matt Long was cycling to work when he was struck by and sucked under a 20-ton bus making an illegal turn. The injuries he sustained pushed him within inches of death. Miraculously, after five months in the hospital and more than 40 operations, Matt was able to start his recovery. This book chronicles Matt's road to recovery as he teaches himself to walk again and, a mere three years later, to run in the 2008 New York City Marathon.
-
-
Less than meets the eye
- By Daniel on 03-02-12
By: Matthew Long, and others
-
Gratitude in Motion
- A True Story of Hope, Determination, and the Everyday Heroes Around Us
- By: Colleen Kelly Alexander, Jenna Glatzer, Bart Yasso - foreword
- Narrated by: Colleen Kelly Alexander
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It was a beautiful fall day in Connecticut when Colleen Kelly Alexander, a lifelong athlete, rode her bike home from work. She had survived both a diagnosis of lupus and brain surgery, had a fulfilling career, and was married at last to the love of her life. Everything was good as she coasted along, meeting the eyes of a truck driver as he approached the stop sign beside her. He didn't stop. The truck hit Colleen, running over her lower body with front and back tires and dragging her across the pavement.
-
-
Amazing testimony
- By HikerGirl on 08-26-19
By: Colleen Kelly Alexander, and others
-
Age is Just a Number
- Achieve Your Dreams At Any Stage In Your Life
- By: Elizabeth Weil, Dara Torres
- Narrated by: Rebecca Lowman
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Age Is Just a Number, Dara Torres reveals how the dream of an Olympic comeback first came to her when she was months into her first, hard-won pregnancy. With humor and candor, Dara recounts how she returned to serious training while nursing her infant daughter and contending with her beloved father's long battle with cancer. A truly self-made legend, her story will resonate with women of all ages and with anyone daring to entertain a seemingly impossible dream.
-
-
Fantastic
- By Angela Simon on 08-15-09
By: Elizabeth Weil, and others
-
GIMP
- When Life Deals You a Crappy Hand, You Can Fold or You Can Play
- By: Mark Zupan
- Narrated by: Mark Zupan
- Length: 4 hrs and 32 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Mark Zupan, a quadriplegic, was facing life in a wheelchair and only limited use of all four limbs. Always a winner and a fighter, Mark refused to accept that his injury doomed him to a lifetime of passive acceptance. He fought to regain as much mobility as possible, and his indomitable spirit has helped him create a life that's truly exceptional.
-
-
Same story
- By Salish54 on 12-16-21
By: Mark Zupan
-
Out There
- A Story of Ultra Recovery
- By: David Clark
- Narrated by: Al Kessel
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
David Clark went from the rock bottom of bankruptcy, addiction, and obesity to becoming an accomplished athlete. In this compelling story of his life, he not only shares his journey with complete honesty, but he also lays out a blueprint for change that anyone can use to redefine what is possible.
-
-
Story of ultra recovery
- By MeDi on 08-06-15
By: David Clark
-
Surfacing
- From the Depths of Self-Doubt to Winning Big and Living Fearlessly
- By: Siri Lindley
- Narrated by: Siri Lindley
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In
Surfacing, Siri Lindley opens up about her unique celebrity-dappled early life. When an NFL superstar notices her beautiful mother, her idyllic childhood is upended. Glitzy dinner parties and world travel pull her mother away, and Lindley grows up feeling alone and out of place. As her intense loneliness grows into anger, she lashes out against her New England life of privilege.
-
-
I m sorry but it sucks!!
- By Carlos Amador on 05-07-17
By: Siri Lindley
-
A Life Without Limits
- A World Champion's Journey
- By: Chrissie Wellington, Lance Armstrong - foreward
- Narrated by: Polly Lee, Chrissie Wellington
- Length: 9 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 2007, Chrissie Wellington shocked the triathlon world by winning the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. As a newcomer to the sport and a complete unknown to the press, Chrissie's win shook up the sport. A LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS is the story of her rise to the top, a journey that has taken her around the world, from a childhood in England, to the mountains of Nepal, to the oceans of New Zealand, and the trails of Argentina, and first across the finish line.
-
-
Chrissie winning, on repeat
- By Mona on 03-13-13
By: Chrissie Wellington, and others
-
My Fight / Your Fight
- By: Ronda Rousey
- Narrated by: Ronda Rousey, R.C. Bray
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this inspiring and moving book, Ronda Rousey, Olympic medalist in judo, reigning UFC women's bantamweight champion, and Hollywood star, describes her difficult path to glory. Marked by her signature charm, barbed wit, and undeniable power, Rousey's account of the toughest fights of her life - in and outside the Octagon - reveals the painful loss of her father when she was eight years old, the intensity of her judo training, her battles with love, her meteoric rise to fame, and the secret behind her undefeated UFC record.
-
-
Amazingly written
- By Denise Grabofsky on 11-20-16
By: Ronda Rousey
-
Life Is a Marathon
- A Memoir of Love and Endurance
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Jamie Renell
- Length: 9 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An endurance athlete and coach reveals how the marathon transforms the lives of everyone who attempts it - and how it has helped his own family cope with serious adversity.
-
-
Not my favorite running book
- By riogirl1992 on 03-05-22
By: Matt Fitzgerald
-
Living with No Excuses
- The Remarkable Rebirth of an American Soldier
- By: Noah Galloway
- Narrated by: Noah Galloway
- Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inspirational, humorous, and thought provoking, Noah Galloway's Living with No Excuses sheds light on his upbringing in rural Alabama, his military experience, and the battle he faced to overcome losing two limbs during Operation Iraqi Freedom. From reliving the early days of life to his acceptance of his "new normal" after losing his arm and leg in combat, Noah reveals his ambition to succeed against all odds.
-
-
Not what you expect but far better
- By Ginger on 08-28-16
By: Noah Galloway
What listeners say about Cycle of Hope: A Journey from Paralysis to Possibility
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Tom Anderson
- 07-25-18
Cycle of Life
It has happened to all of us who cycle: We are riding in an event or just out for a ride by ourselves and we wonder “is that car going to stop?” or “that SUV really isn’t going to turn, is it?”. For all of us, then, this book becomes our worst nightmare.
Tricia Downing was a competitive cyclist. Was. Then that nightmare became her reality in the blink of an eye. This is the story of how she literally clawed her way back into competitive sports and became a champion all over again.
If you have ever ridden in a cycling event or run a marathon or competed in a triathlon you’ve seen them those fellow competitors who don’t have the use of their legs. You will gain a whole new perspective of them after you listen to this book.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cheryl Jacobs
- 06-27-22
Genuine, truthful and inspiring
As a person with a recent spinal chord injury, the author honestly told the struggle of this life changing injury. I loved how she let us into her mind at all moments - pre-injury, during the acute phase of her injury, and post. What came through was that the injury never took away her being. Just changed how she interacted with the world physically. Which can be overcome. What’s a very cathartic read for me. Additionally, she just lays out the challenges of being a woman in her 30s which all can relate to. A great read for anyone who wants to learn about the disability community and how we are invalids in need of pity. Also a good read for anyone who champions girl power. This is full of it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zoe
- 07-12-18
HOPE
Tricia's story was an amazing story of courage that she never gave up and had to endure. There are others that have equally amazing stories to tell, so I hope that more people have the opportunity to have their story told.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
6 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- reader and teacher
- 07-26-21
4.5/5 stars
Summary:
The book description essentially tells the entire story, but it’s still worth listening to in full. Tricia Downing, a highly competitive athlete, was struck by a car. The accident left her paralyzed from the chest down. This tells of her painful, long journey to recovery and healing.
Additional Comments:
- 4/5 Stars Performance: Aven Shore’s performance is decent. I had it going at 2x speed, but that’s a personal preference. Otherwise, I’d feel like it was way too slow. Being slow is always better than faster though because you can speed things up pretty easily. A bit harder to go the other way.
- The cathartic letters Tricia and her friend Matt wrote the woman who caused the accident were/are an interesting idea. They’re very honest, though I’m not quite sold on the necessity of throwing the horrible day back in the woman’s face.
- Powerful story of overcoming a very painful life twist.
- They didn’t dwell too much on the troubles of her day to day life. I would have liked to see more of that. This focused a lot on the training to do triathlons. The beginning 1/3 is about her physical recovery. The latter 2/3rds of the book were a cycle of training, new hurdles, triumphs, and shortcomings. Dates kinda get fuzzy.
- They also didn’t focus a lot on what she does to help in terms of motivational speaking. I get that she probably didn’t want to come off as pitchy in the book, but an end blurb about what she’s up to would have been appropriate.
- You can learn more about her at https://triciadowning.com.
- Content Warning: 3 f-bombs (a few casual, 1 fitting the circumstances)
Conclusion:
Seems like an awesome lady to know. I don’t like most non-fiction, but this is still a touching, potent account of overcoming devastating circumstances.
*I received a free copy of the audiobook (and forgot to post the review). I freely chose to leave this review. All thoughts are my own.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 07-23-18
Exactly as title describes
This true story of Tricia’s life takes you along with her through the accident, the diagnosis, the hospitals, her surgeries, therapy, and recovery, her emotions, her challenges, and her relationships. She is very honest in telling the story of her tragedy, even revealing her negative emotions and lack of hope for her future. She gives a glimpse of the everyday difficulties of being paralyzed.
As she chronicles her journey out of depression and into her new reality, the reader begins to see the spunky competitive Tricia come alive again as she meets challenges head on, forges new paths, and sets almost impossible goals.
I recommend this book to any racer, cyclist, or person looking for inspiration and hope in difficult circumstances.
As a aide note, I understand why she and her friend Matt needed to write the letters to the woman who caused the accident. I’m sure it was therapeutic to write those things to her and to get the anger and hate off their chests. But I would have liked to have read that they also were able to then forgive the woman and embrace the ultimate hope that Christ brings to our lives through His love and forgiveness.
The narrator did a great job on the audiobook, although she sounded too young to be believable as the author of the book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 09-20-19
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
WOW! This is the best bio I have listened to in a long time. Tricia’s story is a testament to the will it takes to survive an shine threw adversity when life deals you the worst possible cards out of the pack. Its both sad an beautiful, an a reminder to all of us, with a truck load of determination and guts, dreams can come true. Aven Shore’s narrating was outstanding, an made me feal that it was Tricia telling the story her selff. My only hope is that you dear listener enjoy this audio experience as much as I have. Many thanks to Tricia Downing for shareing her story of hope, an to Aven shore for her awesome narration, an to everyone who made this book possible
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kindle Customer
- 10-23-22
excellent
Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!