I'll Push You: A Journey of 500 Miles, Two Best Friends, and One Wheelchair - Hardcover

Gray, Patrick; Skeesuck, Justin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1496421698 ISBN 13: 9781496421692

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, 2017

Synopsis

2018 ECPA Christian Book Award Winner
2018 Christopher Award Winner

Two best friends, 500 miles, one wheelchair, and the challenge of a lifetime.
Friendship takes on new meaning in this true story of Justin and Patrick, born less than two days apart in the same hospital. Best friends their whole lives, they grew up together, went to school together, and were best man in each other’s weddings. When Justin was diagnosed with a neuromuscular disease that robbed him of the use of his arms and legs, Patrick was there, helping to feed and care for him in ways he’d never imagined. Determined to live life to the fullest, the friends refused to give into despair or let physical limitations control what was possible for Justin.

So when Justin heard about the Camino de Santiago, a 500-mile trek through Spain, he wondered aloud to Patrick whether the two of them could ever do it. Patrick’s immediate response was: “I’ll push you.”

I’ll Push You is the real-life story of this incredible journey. A travel adventure full of love, humor, and spiritual truth, it exemplifies what every friendship is meant to be and shows what it means to never find yourself alone. You’ll discover how love and faith can push past all limits―and make us the best versions of ourselves.

About this title

About the Author:

Justin Skeesuck and Patrick Gray have been best friends all their lives.  Together they run The Disabled Traveler, an organization dedicated to helping people with disabilities successfully navigate the challenges of everyday life and travel.  Their work has been featured on NBC, ABC, Fox and Friends, the Huffington Post, People.com, Tedx, the Meredith Vieira Show, and many other worldwide news media outlets.  I'll Push You, the story of their 500-mile epic pilgrimage across northern Spain, is a forthcoming documentary film.

Justin and his wife Kirstin, are the parents of Jaden, Noah, and Lauren; Patrick is married to Donna and they have three children: Cambria, Joshua, and Olivia.

Review:

I’ll Push You is a powerful story of friendship and faith, defining what it means to a part of a community. The love that is so evident in Justin and Patrick’s story is a brilliant reminder of how we should engage with one another, a reminder of what the church is meant to be. (Jeremy Cowart, Photographer and founder of The Purpose Hotel)

When I met Justin and Patrick and heard their story, I cried, and I wanted everyone I knew to hear this important story. We live in a culture that values romantic love and to a certain extent familial love, but we have very few stories of brotherhood like this one: a story about lifelong friends who, when life became challenging, didn’t back away, but instead became more committed to one another, more connected, more willing to sacrifice. This is an important, beautiful, inspiring story. (Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author)

I’ll Push You is not just the remarkable story of one able-bodied man pushing another man’s wheelchair on a five-hundred-mile journey. It’s the story of two friends who’ve spent their entire life’s journey pushing each other to be better people. Through their courage, grace, and dignity, Justin and Patrick remind us that we are stronger together than separate. As it turns out, we all need a push. (Meredith Vieira, Journalist and talk show host)

This is an inspiring story of love and commitment. It’s the kind of story Jesus would have told to his friends. You’ll learn a little more about the power of love in these pages. (Bob Goff, New York Times bestselling author of Love Does)

About this edition

• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 1496421698
• ISBN 13: 9781496421692
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304