Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz

Running Against The Odds, by Desmond Dunham

November 01, 2021
Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz
Running Against The Odds, by Desmond Dunham
Show Notes

Running Against The Odds is a testament that past traumas and emotional blockades stand no chance against motivation, will power, and can only fuel the desire to become a champion and emerge victorious.  This book is Coach Dez’s memoire. He divides his journey into 3 parts:
1. Childhood
2. College years
3. Coaching
His journey starts with a turbulent childhood which is when he also discovers running. He initially only tries out for the cross country team because it is his ticket to get on the basketball team, but ends up loving the sport. Dez’s childhood is not easy. His father is a Vietnam Veteran who became an alcoholic in his attempt to deal with the trauma from this experience, and ended up spending the money his parents had tried to save for their children's education. Dez later manages to get a scholarship, but also loses it and must find a way to pay for his studies. Despite all the early challenges, Desmond gets a degree, and becomes one of the most prolific coaches in high school cross-country and track & field, and a very caring and compassionate human being.

Desmond Dunham is now a coach, mentor, and Under Armour Coach Ambassador, but he started out as a very driven young runner who risked his health to run in a championship meet in his last year of college eligibility. Coach Dunham is a youth sports expert with over two decades of coaching and teaching experience. He is a community-leader and truly cares about every athlete he coaches. Coach Dunham founded Kids Elite Sports, a youth sports development organization that operates summer camps and specialized training for committed youth athletes seeking a competitive edge in their primary sport.

If you would like to know more about Desmond Dunham, you can visit his web site    https://www.coachdezdunham.com or Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/coachdezdunham/. You can learn more about Kids Elite Sport summer camps at https://kidselitesports.com.

If you are interested in getting a copy of Running Against The Odds, it is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Running-Against-Odds-Inspirational-Journey-ebook/dp/B09HDHCKKP/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2B7ZL7991YOW0&dchild=1&keywords=running+against+the+odds+dunham&qid=1632963988&sprefix=running+against%2Caps%2C174&sr=8-1

Big thank you to Jimmy Dwyer from Dalyn Miller Public Relations for reaching out to let us know about this book, and for providing a review copy and helping set up the interview. Thanks you also to Coach Dez for the fantastic conversation.  

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