Unbroken

‘Tears of sorrow will roll down your face, only to be followed by tears of laughter. You will be filled with awe at the unbreakable spirit of Martine Wright.’ -- Clare Balding

By turns heart-breaking and heart-warming, Unbroken is the remarkable true story of a woman who turned trauma and tragedy into hope. The autobiography of 7/7 bombings survivor and GB Paralympian, Martine Wright.

On the morning of 7th July 2005, Martine Wright’s life changed forever. As she boarded an eastbound circle line train at Moorgate station, amid the busy rush-hour, she didn’t pay attention to her fellow passengers. At 8.49am, one of those passengers detonated a suicide bomb that would kill seven people in the carriage, part of a wider attack on London claiming 52 lives that became known as the 7/7 bombings.

Martine was, in fact, the last person to be brought out alive from the atrocities. She lost 80 per cent of her blood, was in a coma for seven days and underwent ten months of surgery. Not only did Martine survive her horrific injuries but, having never played sport seriously before, she took up sitting volleyball as part of her rehabilitation and went on to represent Great Britain at the Paralympics in London 2012. A deeply poignant moment that signified her triumph over tragedy, it marked a journey Martine felt she was destined to make.

Since then Martine has become a national figure: a formidable, powerful, brilliantly funny, hugely engaging heroine who has come back – almost literally – from the dead. In 2012 she was awarded the Helen Rollason award at the Sports Personality of the Year and in 2015 the Independent voted her one of ’50 most powerful women in British Sport’. Beyond her phenomenal sporting achievements, Martine continues to change the lives of those around her as a charity fundraiser and inspirational speaker.

About the Author

Martine Wright is a popular Paralympic athlete and award-winning public speaker. She lost both of her legs in the 7/7 bomb attacks but went on to play in Great Britain's female seated volleyball team at the Paralympics, 2012. Martine has presented high-profile sporting events on the BBC and Channel 4, including the Paralympics and Invictus Games. She was Channel 4's 'roving reporter' in Rio for the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil. In 2009, she gave birth to a son. She lives with her family in Berkshire and is living testament to how catastrophic life-changes can have positive outcomes.