Cherish life, especially the small things: Jim Styne's My Journey

'If you don't have cancer, cherish life. If you do, cherish it even more.' – Jim Stynes, My Journey
Jim Stynes, AFL Brownlow Medalist and former president of Melbourne Football Club, endured a tough and public fight with cancer after being diagnosed three years ago at the age of 43.

My Journey is his autobiography, in which he recalls his football career from recruitment as a young Irishman and including winning the Brownlow Medal in 1991. It also discusses his co-founding of Reach, a community outreach organisation that works with troubled youth, and his cancer diagnosis and the subsequent battle.

At the book's launch in Melbourne yesterday, his wife Sam spoke of how the prospect of Jim never seeing his kids grow up was one of the most upsetting aspects, but at the book will offer some comfort:

"So just knowing that they will always have that book with that beautiful sparkly spine sitting on their bookshelf that they can grab at any time, it takes the pressure, I think, off both myself and Jim's family and friends."

Sam also spoke of how time spent with his kids doing simple family things like kicking the footy was most precious to Jim: "I didn't realise what that meant to Jim at the time. And so I was sad when I was reading ... you can tend to get caught up in all these grand celebrations in life and big things, but the simplicity of what was important to Jim in the end did surprise me."

Jim Stynes died on March 27 this year, and his memoir released today is based on the extensive diaries he kept and on conversations with co-author and friend Warwick Green.

My Journey, hardback, 384 pages, RRP $39.99. Publisher: Penguin, Imprint: Michael Joseph.

Links:

Jim's wife Sam spoke with Channel 9 earlier in the week and the Herald Sun reported on the launch.

Click below to purchase My Journey from Booktopia.

booktopia.com.au - Australia's #1 online bookstore


 - Josiah Hallett

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