Rise Above

She's 65, a therapist, and an ultra-endurance athlete. Her secret? Running with trauma-not from it.

What makes a woman in her 60's choose to bike across America, bike in Cuba, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, scale Mount Kilimanjaro, hike the Camino de Santiago, and Via Alpina trails? For Laurie Singer, these aren't mid-life milestones-they're acts of survival. As a wife, mother, grandmother, licensed therapist, Ironman competitor, and athlete, Laurie has faced down the demons of an abusive childhood, the complex challenges of an adult ADHD diagnosis, and the devastating loss of a child. Each race, ride, and climb isn't a conquest-it's a confrontation with grief, fear, and self-doubt.

In Rise Above: An Athlete's Story of Grit and Endurance, Laurie weaves gripping personal narratives with poignant insight from decades of therapeutic practice. From escaping a violent home as a child to outrunning wild dogs on a cross-country ride, her stories are visceral, harrowing, and full of surprising humor. Through raw honesty and unflinching reflection, she shows how true endurance isn't about winning-it's about staying in the race.

More than a memoir of physical feats, Rise Above is a call to action for anyone battling their own internal storms. Laurie doesn't claim victory over her trauma but shows us how to live beside it through moving forward and enduring-mile after mile, climb after climb, step after bruised, exhausted step. Laurie's story will resonate with athletes, survivors, and anyone who knows that strength isn't just about overcoming, but persevering. Her story challenges the definition of power and redefines our understanding of healing.