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The Golden Gladiator – Book Trailer
The Golden Gladiator. . . .
Myth? Urban legend? Hero? Antihero?
Myth or urban legend? Not at all. This is the true story of senior citizen Michael Lynch and his inspirational journey back to the gridiron and glory. In his mid-sixties, he played on one of the best semi-pro football teams in America, and was coached by a former NFL veteran.
After seeing his nephew play in a high school All-Star game on Long Island during the summer of 2012, Michael Lynch had an epiphany. He wanted to play football again. In the late 60s and early 70s, he had been a football star in high school, college, and in the semi-pro leagues on Long Island. Forty years later, he decided to turn back the clock and risk life and limb to play football again in one of the toughest semi-pro leagues in America: the Florida Football Alliance.
This is a story of courage, redemption, tragedy, and love as Lynch played for four years in over fifty football games. He was a game captain, an Honorable Mention on the 2014 Florida Football Alliances All-Star team, and was honored at the leagues’ banquet in his final year in 2018 for his inspiration and dedication to the game he loves. He played on two championship teams, in 2015 and 2018.
Michael Lynch was inducted into the Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest American football player ever, and the oldest American football player to catch a touchdown pass—which he did at the age of sixty-eight.
Hero or antihero? You decide, but first read Michael Lynch’s epic tale, his Iliad and Odyssey of football journeys—the true story of . . . the Golden Gladiator.
Never Give Up
The Golden Gladiator is a memoir about one football player’s life, and how he refused to give up on his dream just because of his age. Why was this an important book for you to write?
It was important to write it to show everyone that it is important to dream and to follow that dream. Of course, sometimes following that dream takes hard work and sacrifice and only the individual pursuing it can determine if all of the work is worth it. It also let me get back in the time machine to go back and fondly recall the place I always love the most, home.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
The hardest thing for me was just trying to STOP writing. When I sat down and started writing it was very easy and I put the story down in linear form. My editors change it around and when I told them it was complete, I kept adding more and more story and details. They told me in the end that I had added almost thirty pages to the first manuscript by the time it was ended.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
My father told me to when you do a job do it as perfectly as you can. You may never be perfect, but strive for it. My mother told us as children that the battles of our adult lives would be won on the playing fields of our youth.
What do you hope is one thing readers take away from your story?
That is easy, to never give up and always remember as you face adversity to remember that each and everyday you wake up that day is the beginning of the rest of your life. You cannot change the past, but you can control the present and the future.
Author Link: Website
Myth? Urban legend? Hero? Antihero?
Myth or urban legend? Not at all. This is the true story of senior citizen Michael Lynch and his inspirational journey back to the gridiron and glory. In his mid-sixties, he played on one of the best semi-pro football teams in America, and was coached by a former NFL veteran.
After seeing his nephew play in a high school All-Star game on Long Island during the summer of 2012, Michael Lynch had an epiphany. He wanted to play football again. In the late 60s and early 70s, he had been a football star in high school, college, and in the semi-pro leagues on Long Island. Forty years later, he decided to turn back the clock and risk life and limb to play football again in one of the toughest semi-pro leagues in America: the Florida Football Alliance.
This is a story of courage, redemption, tragedy, and love as Lynch played for four years in over fifty football games. He was a game captain, an Honorable Mention on the 2014 Florida Football Alliances All-Star team, and was honored at the leagues’ banquet in his final year in 2018 for his inspiration and dedication to the game he loves. He played on two championship teams, in 2015 and 2018.
Michael Lynch was inducted into the Guinness World Records in 2019 as the oldest American football player ever, and the oldest American football player to catch a touchdown pass—which he did at the age of sixty-eight.
Hero or antihero? You decide, but first read Michael Lynch’s epic tale, his Iliad and Odyssey of football journeys—the true story of . . . the Golden Gladiator.
The Golden Gladiator
Michael Lynch wanted a second shot at the sport he loves. He spent the better part of his life living and breathing everything football. From his early days as one of five football-loving children, Lynch knew he was destined to have the sport as a significant focus of his life. Having moved from playing football on sandlots to playing in high school, college, and semi-professional teams, Lynch had almost run the gamut when it comes to the sport he loves. But, as the years passed, Lynch found himself yearning for another shot on the field.
The Golden Gladiator, by Michael Lynch, is the story of the author’s lifelong love of football and his determination to carry his involvement with the game into his golden years. Virtually everything he sees and does reminds him of the game he came to know so well in his youth, and he looks for every opportunity to delve into the ins and outs of the game. Lynch has maintained his health, and physical conditioning remains a priority for him. He is more than ready for another chance to participate in a game, and he begins his search for the perfect team.
Lynch is open and honest about his thought process leading up to his decision to try out for a semi-pro team nearly forty years after his last game. The author is candid–something all readers will appreciate. Approaching my fifties, I was able to empathize with the desire to relive experiences from my twenties. Though Lynch’s work centers around football, it is a fabulous book for any reader who wants to turn back time and relive their youth.
Football fans will relish in Lynch’s experiences. From start to finish, he includes exchanges between renowned names in football, sport-specific terminology, and references to games any true fan will recall. Lynch leaves no stone unturned when it comes to providing readers with a narrative they won’t soon forget.
The Golden Gladiator is an inspiring book for anyone who is looking for a refreshing look at the sport of football through the eyes of someone who has been there, done that, and yearned to do it one more time. Lynch is making his own dreams come true while handing readers hope for their own. This is a must-read for readers of all genres.
Pages: 426 | ISBN : 979-8-9850891-0-3
LITERARY TITAN 