Running to the Edge

Parnell (Marathon Quest) drops a lot of names in his inspiring second memoir, but for every well-known person such as Olympian Clara Hughes or former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, there are a dozen others to whom he wants to introduce readers. The book is an account of his Quests for Kids, 10 ambitious sporting achievements, both individual and team-oriented, to which Parnell devoted himself in order to raise money for the international Right to Play organization. As determined as he is to accomplish his goals, such as playing lacrosse for 24 hours or doing the overly ambitious Kilimanjaro marathon and climb, he’s equally dogged about recording every detail, including the people he stayed with, what he ate before challenges, and his adventures along the way. The minutiae can be tiresome, but Parnell’s resolve and enthusiasm is infectious. He writes about Daniel, a boy who couldn’t play ball hockey because of brittle bone disease but was there to cheer: “Sometimes you meet people with a life force that burns like a Roman candle. Daniel improves the lives of everyone he meets.” It takes one to know one, and readers are bound to enjoy stories from this wonder of a man. (Nov.)