The Longest Day - Standing Up to Depresion and Tackling the Coast to Coast

Allen & Unwin, Auckland, 2020. Signed by the author. Good secondhand condition.

What do you do when you reach rock bottom?

Matt Calman's most consistent tool for dealing with problems throughout his life was alcohol. But it got to the stage where he was no longer willing to put up with the dark side of his drinking. So he quit.

But the problems that had been simmering away for most of his life merely came to a head. It led to a major depressive phase with panic attacks and thoughts of suicide.

Finally Matt began the slow climb to rebuild himself. He was ready to find something. It just happened to be the Coast to Coast Multisport World Championships, the toughest endurance race in New Zealand.

The Longest Day outlines Matt's path back from depression, his struggles to learn to run, cycle and kayak at an elite level and the culmination of all that training: his Coast to Coast race. Through his training he learns about process rather than outcome, and how true success and enjoyment is embedded in the journey not the destination.

This is a riveting read for sports fans and a compelling account of courage and determination.