“No Retreat, No Surrender” is a memoir detailing the inspiring life of a Lifesaver, an Ironman and an Olympian – Oscar Chalupsky.
South Africa (28 July 2024)—Thanks to Graham Spence’s work, Oscar Chalupsky‘s inspiring story has been told. It details his greatest accomplishments and how he has forged forward with a determination to live a good, fulfilling life, despite a terminal cancer diagnosis.
Graham starts the book by sharing how he came to be involved in the book. He had seen the news of Oscar’s cancer diagnosis and was floored. Oscar was diagnosed with incurable Multiple Myeloma. Initially, he was diagnosed in 2019. However, the diagnosis was for secondary cancer, with the initial cancer unknown at the time. Later, Oscar sought Graham out, insisting it was time to pen his story and get his life down on paper. And so, “No Retreat, No Surrender” was born.
Every chapter in Oscar Chalupsky’s memoir is dedicated to a defining moment in his life. Our favourite part is at the end of each chapter Oscar shares the life lessons learned at that point in his life.
He starts by acknowledging all the people and companies that have supported his career over the decades, thanking them all for their support over the past year. Then, Oscar dives into how it all began. That his father had brought the family’s love of kayaking from Germany when he immigrated long before Oscar was born. The ocean became a second home to the family as it grew, and this is where Oscar found his love for the beach and all the sports that it offered.
Oscar’s memoir highlights his time as a Lifesaver, an Ironman, an Olympian and, quite frankly, an inspiration!
With snippets of life lessons like “Always Fight Back”, “Aim as High as You Can” and “Ages is not Everything”, Oscar’s memoir serves as an inspiring tale of his life but too as a guide for those who need to dig deep to push themselves towards their goals. The book serves as a coach right there on your bookshelf.
The battle through fighting terminal cancer is a heartwrenching read but Oscar serves up his story to offer support. Ending his life lessons with a gem:
“Cancer is a Disease, not a shame! Don’t hide behind the perceived stigma, because it isn’t that at all.
It is only through discussion, acceptance and interaction that you discover how many hidden gems of advice and wisdom are out there, and that everyone wants to help.
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Few athletes hold a record comparable to that of Oscar Chalupsky. He made history at the age of fifteen as the first person to win both the Junior and Senior Ironman titles on the same day at the South African National Lifesaving Championships, he was the country’s spokesman at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, and he is a multiple-times global surfski champion, having won the internationally famous Molokai to Oahu World Surfski Marathon championships in Hawaii a record twelve times – his most recent victory being at the age of forty-nine.
Then, in 2019, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, an incurable bone marrow cancer and told he had six months to live. But as with everything else Oscar does, he is determined to emerge victorious. He continues to paddle kayaks and play golf, and with a combination of medical treatment, exercise, iron determination and unconquerable optimism, he has defied every doctor’s prediction to date.
How does he do it?
In this book, Oscar relives some of his most exhilarating and nail-biting races, and shares the lessons he has learnt from winning on the international surf lifesaving, kayak and surfski circuits as well as running several successful businesses. The final chapters recount his courageous battle against cancer, the vital support of his family and friends, and his refusal to let the deadly disease dictate his life.
No Retreat, No Surrender is an uplifting account of grit, perseverance, talent and attitude, vividly capturing the determined mindset of an inspirational sporting legend.
If you would like to learn more about this book, visit its website here. It is also available at all major literary retailers and online.
Interested in more proudly South African books? You can find more of our book reviews here.
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