{"product_id":"walking-tall","title":"Walking Tall","description":"\u003cp\u003eDeemed too small for his school Gaelic football team at the age of fourteen, Rob Heffernan took up race walking on a whim. Driven by a fiercely competitive nature and a dogged desire to be the best, he strode his way to the pinnacle of the sport, winning bronze in the London 2012 Olympics and becoming world champion in Moscow in 2013. In 2016, he became the first athlete to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games for a fifth time.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eIn this no-holds-barred account, Rob describes his battles with injury, depression and poverty on his way to the top. Even when at his best, he found himself cheated out of medals by those who crossed the dark line into doping. He candidly tells of the confrontations with Athletics Ireland and the Irish Sports Council that raged in the background to his struggle for that prestigious Olympic medal.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the inside story of how one boy’s dream led him from the council flats of his tough upbringing to the winners’ podium. It is also a heartfelt chronicle of the sometimes nightmare-ridden journey to become a top athlete in this gruelling sport.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis is the inside story of how Rob Heffernan's dream led him from the council flats of his tough Cork city upbringing to the winners' podium of the Olympic Games. It is also a frank chronicle of the sometimes nightmare-ridden journey it takes to make a dream come true.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gill Books","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":55151792390531,"sku":"9781848892880","price":22.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0910\/3664\/7811\/files\/98ed62fd85fc931b511b2e2b16323621_22530401-098f-436f-b4dc-7d83f7c6a26e.jpg?v=1777553654","url":"https:\/\/shop.gill.ie\/products\/walking-tall","provider":"Gill","version":"1.0","type":"link"}