BEATING MS is a 72,000-word narrative nonfiction work blending cinematic storytelling with lessons on adaptation, identity, and purpose.Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at fourteen, I watched the future I’d built as a young athlete disappear overnight. Over two decades, I rebuilt my life through coaching, higher-education leadership, fatherhood, entrepreneurship, and learning how to inhabit a body that no longer followed rules. Beating MS chronicles my transformation. It moves through locker rooms, hospital corridors, frozen highways, job interviews, and households, while exploring the psychology of resilience and reinvention.The book resembles the lineage of intimate health narratives like When Breath Becomes Air, while expanding into leadership and second-act territory for readers navigating illness, burnout, disability, caregiving, or professional pivots. Each short chapter ends with subtle reflection rather than instruction, allowing the story to drive insight.Beyond the manuscript, I’ve developed a companion list of works, including a reflection-based workbook, a keynote and motivational talk, and short audio segments based on the book’s themes.
Proposal Details
Summary
After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, Kyle Myers must reconstruct every assumption about his body, ambition, and role.Across nearly three decades, he navigates sports, coaching, career changes, hitch-hiking, marriage, getting fired, and parenting, all while managing a disease defined by unpredictability.The narrative follows his evolution from athlete to leader, tracing how illness reshapes competitiveness into mentorship, fear into long-range vision, and survival into service.Explorations of medical uncertainty, the psychology of adaptation, anxiety in crisis, and the slow work of redefining success are braided into his story.Rather than a single-act triumph story, Beating MS honors the messy middle: relapses, doubts, professional pivots, and moments of quiet courage that accumulate into reinvention.Key Themes
• Identity after diagnosis
• Redefining strength
• Leadership developed in uncertainty
• Fatherhood and legacy
• Disability and visibility
• Career reinvention
• Psychological resilience
• Purpose beyond performance
• Second acts
• Building community while rebuilding selfChapter Summaries
Chapter 1 Lemonade: Kyle, an athlete, begins to experience strange physical symptoms, including lightheadedness and migraines, which culminate in a missed catch during a baseball game. After a visit to the doctor, he learns he has optic neuritis, a symptom of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). His diagnosis introduces a new reality as he navigates the challenges of his health while trying to maintain his identity as an athlete and teenager.Chapter 2 Courage: After being diagnosed with MS, Kyle is determined to continue playing football despite the risks. He undergoes various tests but remains committed. The chapter highlights his interactions with family and friends, who encourage him to keep fighting against his limitations, emphasizing the importance of courage in facing adversity.Chapter 3 Born By A River: Kyle reflects on the ongoing challenges of living with MS while balancing sports and academics. He finds solace in training and dedicates himself to improving as an athlete. Despite setbacks during games, he learns about mental toughness and ultimately discovers his resilience in the face of adversity.Chapter 4 Film Don’t Lie: The narrator transitions to college football, where he faces new challenges both on and off the field. Although he struggles with academics, he finds joy in coaching and mentorship. He emphasizes the importance of hard work and training, which pays off as he begins to attract recruiters' attention.Chapter 5 Back Up North: Proud of overcoming obstacles, Kyle is finally a scholarship athlete. However, he realizes that success is not solely based on talent but on perseverance and hard work. He faces new challenges, balancing family responsibilities and coaching duties while striving to make an impact on the field.Chapter 6 Exit Meeting: Kyle's exit meeting with his coach leads to a decision to switch to playing defense, where he finds new purpose and leadership. He embraces his new role and works hard during the offseason, determined to succeed despite the physical and mental demands.Chapter 7 Balls On Fire: As an assistant coach, Kyle learns the importance of preparation and maintaining focus in a fast-paced environment. He navigates challenges with enthusiasm and energy, understanding that mistakes can be valuable learning experiences. His commitment to developing players shines through his coaching style.Chapter 8 Developing: Kyle reflects on his growth as a coach, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and accountability. He shares insights about the demands of college football and the significance of building strong relationships with players. The challenges of balancing family and coaching responsibilities motivate him to continue improving.Chapter 9 Sacrifice: Kyle takes on the role of defensive coordinator at Northland College, a college he attended in an earlier chapter. He navigates the challenges of coaching with limited resources, focusing on developing players and fostering teamwork. The chapter highlights his determination to make a positive impact on his athletes' lives.Chapter 10 FINDaWAY: Kyle’s team struggles in the early games of the season but rallies together, embodying the mantra "FINDaWAY." Through perseverance and teamwork, they overcome challenges and achieve unexpected success. The chapter emphasizes resilience, leadership, and the lessons learned throughout the journey.Chapter 11 The Ladder: Kyle reflects on how football has taken him across the country, allowing him to build friendships and create lasting memories. He describes the differences between traveling as a college football player and as a coach, detailing the tedious logistics of travel and game days. The chapter emphasizes the joy of coaching and the sacrifices he and his family have made.Chapter 12 Black Monday: Kyle experiences a significant change in his coaching career as he becomes a full-time coach. While navigating the demands of the position, he reflects on the balance between personal life and the intense grind of coaching. The chapter explores the challenges and pressures of working in an extremely competitive coaching industry.Chapter 13 Storms Are Coming: A winter storm strands Kyle after an interview in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, forcing him to accept a ride from two strangers and endure a terrifying overnight drive through blizzard conditions. He eventually makes it home, shaken but grateful, and reflects on the randomness of the ordeal and the strangers who quite literally saved him.Chapter 14 Who Are You: A campus tour, meaningful conversations with university leaders, and an X’s and O’s quiz shift Kyle’s perspective on joining a new staff and coaching in a new position. When his soon-to-be boss opened a window curtain, revealing a stunning overlook of the Missouri River and surrounding bluffs, Kyle realized that it was the place where he was supposed to be.Chapter 15 Meat Head: Now coaching the offensive line, Kyle embraces the challenge of leading the biggest, strongest unit in the sport. He focuses on building trust with his team and emphasizes the importance of technique and discipline. The chapter explores the dynamics of coaching a physical position and the relationships formed within the team.Chapter 16 Pay Attention: Kyle adjusts to his role as a university admissions rep, reflecting on the challenges of transitioning from coaching to a new career. He learns to apply his coaching skills in a different context and starts to find fulfillment in helping prospective students. The chapter emphasizes personal growth and the importance of adapting to change.Chapter 17 Where Are You Going: Kyle reflects on his past coaching experiences and how they prepared him for his current work. He aims to create engaging programs that foster community among students. The chapter emphasizes the importance of leadership and mentorship in building relationships and fostering a welcoming environment.Chapter 18 Don’t Flinch: Kyle takes on the role of Assistant General Manager for a professional indoor football team. He faces new challenges in building the organization from the ground up, learning about corporate sales and community engagement. The chapter highlights the pressures of the job and the resilience required to succeed in a competitive environment.Chapter 19 Chapters: Kyle navigates the complexities of job offers and decisions about his future. After being approached by Northland College for a head coaching position, he reflects on his journey and the confidence he has gained. The chapter explores themes of perseverance and the importance of aligning personal values with professional goals.Chapter 20 Football Academy: Kyle establishes a youth football academy that focuses on teaching fundamentals and life lessons through the sport. He emphasizes the importance of building character and community among young athletes. The chapter concludes with a sense of fulfillment as he imparts the lessons he learned throughout his journey, both as a player and a coach.Chapter 21 Play Rays: Kyle becomes the general manager of a golf course despite having very limited golf experience. He reflects on how his leadership and management skills prepared him for this new role. The chapter highlights the challenges of reviving a course that had been closed for years and adapting to unexpected events, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Through teamwork and resourcefulness, he successfully leads the course operations, emphasizing the importance of community and resilience.Chapter 22 Los Angeles: Kyle travels to Los Angeles to represent his university at a powerful summit centered on identity, leadership, and community. The chapter blends cultural reflection, purpose, and conversations discussing growth, gratitude, and the forces that have shaped who he has become.Complementary Titles
When Breath Becomes Air (2016) by Paul Kalanithi - Scene-driven narrative through illness contemplating human experience, purpose, and legacyCan’t Hurt Me (2018) by David Goggins - Strong emphasis on mental toughness, transformation, and using adversity to form discipline, grit, and persistenceEducated (2018) by Tara Westover - Self-reinvention and transformation through personal challengesBorn to Run (2016) by Bruce Springsteen - Blue-collar reflection on life as a journey
Promotional Plan
Target Audience
• Readers of health-journey narratives
• People navigating chronic illness or life-altering adversity
• Caregivers and families
• Professionals facing burnout or reinvention
• Parents redefining legacy
• Athletic communities
• Higher-education audiences
• Book-club readers
• Healthcare systems and wellness programsAuthor Platform
• Collegiate athletics administrator
• Master’s Degree candidate
• Founder of youth football and leadership programs
• Active social media storytelling presence
• Existing speaking experience
• Developed workbook, keynote, audio series
• Preliminary partnership discussions with Altru Health SystemsPre-Launch Plan
• Cover reveal across social platforms
• Weekly resilience-themed audio clips
• Podcast outreach to health and leadership shows
• Campus and athletic-department partnerships
• Healthcare-system presentations
• Workbook sampler
• Email list via websiteLaunch Plan
• Regional speaking tour
• Health-system events
• University keynotes
• Athletic conferences
• Book-club guides
• Media interviews
• Social-media countdown campaign
• Partner promotions with wellness organizationsPost-Launch Plan
• Expanded keynote bookings
• Workbook release
• Corporate/healthcare workshops
• National MS organization outreach
• Serialized audio stories
• Audiobook
• Follow-up nonfiction proposals
• Community leadership events
