Mike Shoreman "the board man" is a fun and personable paddleboarder. On a trip to India, he stands before the Ganges River, and awakens to his passion of inspiring others on the water. He returns home, becomes a professional paddleboard coach, and soon, builds a successful paddleboarding business from the ground up. His dream of sharing his gift with students becomes a reality.
One morning, everything changes. A sudden neurological condition called Ramsay Hunt Syndrome wakes him in excruciating pain. With a collapsed face, extreme vertigo, and an inability to walk properly, Mike is devasted that his budding paddleboarding career has come to an abrupt end. Hopelessness and loss enfold him as he is left to grieve his old life.
In this heartfelt, raw, and humorous memoir, Mike channels his pain into purpose. Crash and RISE is a story about falling down, getting back up, and stepping bravely into a life that looks nothing like the one we have planned for ourselves. Mike demonstrates what it truly means to crash and rise again by transcending mental and physical limitations in order to share his light with the world. His story reminds us that it is always darkest just before the dawn.