About the Book
In this inspiring memoir, a former female Marine platoon leader recalls the wars she has fought--on the playing field, the battlefield, and inside her own soul--revealing how overcoming the harrowing circumstances in her life helped her ultimately redefine what it means to be strong and what "perfect" really is.
Theresa Larson has lived multiple lives. At ten she was a caregiver to her dying mother. As an adolescent, an All-Star high school, college, and professional softball player. As a young adult, a fitness competition winner, beauty pageant contestant, and model. And as a grown woman, a high-achieving Lieutenant in the Marines, in charge of an entire platoon while deployed in Iraq.
Meanwhile, Theresa was battling bulimia nervosa, an internal struggle which ultimately cut short her military service when she was voluntarily evacuated from combat. Theresa's journey to wellness required the bravery to ask for help, to take care of herself first, and abandon the idea of "perfect." In Warrior, she lays bare all of these lives in intimate and vivid detail, examining extremely personal and sometime painful moments and how, by finally accepting the help of others, she learned to make herself whole. From growing up in a log cabin outside Seattle to facing down the enemy in Iraq, Theresa's journey demonstrates that good health and happiness is a daily, intentional act that requires persistence and commitment.
Theresa hopes that through sharing her story, she will help inspire others to empower themselves, embrace their inner warrior and re-define strength. Startling and funny, terrifying and triumphant, heartbreaking and inspirational, Warrior is at heart a story of perseverance and success--of a determined woman who is model for everyone struggling to conquer their own demons. Theresa shows that asking for help can be an act of courage, and that we are stronger than we think when faced with seemingly impossible odds.
About the Author :
Theresa Larson has been a professional softball player, an award-winning fitness competition contestant, and a lieutenant in the Marines, where she led an entire platoon while deployed in Iraq. She is now a doctor of physical therapy and the founder of Movement Rx, offering support to wounded warriors and individuals with movement issues. Theresa travels all over the world as a speaker for the CrossFit Movement and Mobility course and is a consultant for the world-renowned MobilityWOD. She is a lululemon athletica ambassador, a LALO Tactical ambassador, and works with Team Red, White & Blue, LinderKids, The Resilience Project, the National Eating Disorders Association, and other nonprofits. She lives in San Diego, California.
Alan Eisenstock is the author of Ten on Sunday: The Secret Life of Men, Sports Talk: A Journey Inside the World of Sports Talk Radio, and Inside the Meat Grinder. In a career spanning twenty-five years, he has written movies, plays, magazine articles, and television shows. He lives in California.
Review :
"Theresa Larson's memoir reveals the complex self-savagery of surviving bulimia in a war zone. The conflict may have looked like Iraq on the outside, but the real enemy was her own mind. This book is a rare glimpse into the secret world of a bulimic and exposes the multiple traumas that coalesced into this disease as a means of coping. As a former bulimic, I was at once repulsed, enthralled and redeemed by Theresa's willingness to be so vulnerable on every page. A must-read for those in mental health, armed services and health & fitness fields." - Jill Miller, author of The Roll Model: A Step by Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility and Live Better in Your Body
"Theresa Larson's memoir reveals the complex self-savagery of surviving bulimia in a war zone... This book is a rare glimpse into the secret world of a bulimic and exposes the multiple traumas that coalesced into this disease as a means of coping." - Jill Miller, author of The Roll Model: A Step by Step Guide to Erase Pain, Improve Mobility and Live Better in Your Body
"Larson's tale will inspire readers to think more deeply about gender and mental-health issues in civilian and military life." - Booklist
"Warrior is an interesting and enjoyable read, and the journey Theresa takes us on has elements many can relate to: dealing with loss, the struggle to be perfect, and the pressure to look and act a certain way as a female. I highly recommend Warrior." - Mayim Bialik, actress
"The book is powerful, inspirational, and underscores how we can all be both strong and vulnerable at the same time. Theresa opens her heart and soul on every page and we closed the book feeling uplifted by her amazing spirit." - Kelly and Juliet Starrett, CEOs, MobilityWOD & SanFrancisco Crossfit, co-founders of StandUPKids.org
"heresa shows that real strength happens when you summon the courage to conquer these addictive and doomed expectations. Theresa's willingness to share her journey makes her a true hero and one of the bravest Marines I know." - Mike Burgener, former Marine, Senior International Weightlifting Coach for the United States, Head Strength Coach for Crossfit
"So many times, we have said and heard 'Suck it up Marine.' This story reminds me to look through strength and beauty, realize a person's struggles, and dedicate time to take care of them." - Alyce Fernebok, former Marine Captain
"Few women are raised in a man's world and serve in war not just as physical equals but superiors in prowess and rank. While Theresa "gets" men, a strength of this compelling memoir is how clearly she understands what women uniquely bring to both the armed services and the planet." - Susan Weinsten, author of The Anarchist's Girlfriend and Paradise Gardens
"By turns honest and heartbreaking, Larson's book is a celebration of inner strength. It is also a poignant reminder that the mark of a true warrior is not just someone who fights wars but who also knows how to also "ask for help" in times of crisis." - Kirkus Reviews
"I have always believed that being vulnerable does not imply weakness, but rather the courage to be authentic, to live as who you are, not as the person others expect you to be. Theresa Larson walks us through her journey to get to authenticity. She shows us what it means to be a warrior and anyone will identify with her struggles and learn from her, learn that they too can be resilient, healthy and a true warrior. Bravo Theresa Larson. A must read!" - Eva Selhub, MD, author of Your Health Destiny, stress and mind-body medicine specialist, and former instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate in Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital
