BE A CHAMPION IN LIFE

Wrestling serves as an apt metaphor in this real-life tale of turmoil and redemption.

Jensen opens this gripping memoir during the summer after his high school graduation as he envisions wrestling at the community college level. However, his decision to make quick money in the Alaska fishing industry—where the mental and physical tolls of long, intense hours are often soothed with alcohol and drugs—leads to an extended, harrowing set of detours spanning nearly two decades. The devastating effects of Jensen’s meth addiction are on full display, with countless scenes of drug-fueled rage, recklessness, and depravity. At one point, he nearly died from blood loss, too altered to notice a serious injury. In a striking irony, readers witness the slow destruction of a body that in the context of wrestling would be treated as a temple through nutrition, training, and discipline. At the same time, Jensen’s physical prowess, spatial awareness, and mental acuity occasionally came in handy when violence erupted. The author effectively employs visceral language to describe these conflicts: “I was a master at masking fear, but you can only wear a mask for so long before the face beneath, the true face of who you are, eats its way to the surface.” In addition, he recounts several heartbreaking moments with family members, and if there’s a minor flaw to this book, it’s a lack of familial context at the beginning of his story. Jensen often mentions his reliance on values instilled in his upbringing, but it’s not clear what these are. Eventually, an epiphany and one last arrest sparked his grueling journey to recovery. Finally, at 36, he found himself where he had planned to be all those years before, wrestling on a community college team. Although the author repeatedly emphasizes that the ultimate goal was not necessarily winning, he reached the pinnacle of his wrestling career in 2016, becoming a Folkstyle national champion in the Masters Division. Overall, this memoir’s content and style make it easy to see why Jensen later found success as a motivational speaker.

An unvarnished recollection of the difficulties and rewards of overcoming addiction.