Jaco van Gass was twenty-three when he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan in 2009. Losing his left arm to the blast, he sustained life threatening injuries that stopped his heart twice; yet by a miracle--and the skill of the medics treating him--he survived.
Against all the odds, Jaco has fought to build a post-injury life as an adventurer and professional athlete, a journey that has taken him from the slopes of the world's highest mountains to the North Pole, from the Carretera Austral to international cycling competitions in an Olympic velodrome.
In this account, Jaco tells his compelling and inspiring story, starting with his childhood in South Africa and ending on the podium in Rio. Shedding light on the potholes and pitfalls encountered along the way, he paints a vivid picture of the harshness of Basic Training, the cruel realities of war, the struggle to rebuild his life after losing a limb, the energy-sapping cold experienced at 6,000 metres above sea level, and the complexities of navigating the world of British Cycling. From the dust of the Afghan desert to the blinding whiteness of the North Pole, Jaco's story is one of horror and of great hope, of near-death escapes and of fierce resolve, and, above all, his unequivocal determination to succeed. Jaco has overcome extraordinary odds, not only in refusing to let injury define his life, but in going on to tackle challenges of which few people would even dream. Not just for adventure and military enthusiasts, Unequivocal is for any reader looking for an honest, inspiring voice that will encourage them to live life to the full.
