Hall of Fame water ski racer Mike Avila shares the mindset that helped him overcome devastating injuries, personal hardship, and life's greatest challenges in his inspiring new book, NOT TODAY: The Secret to Never Giving Up. Drawing from a lifetime of championship victories, business success, and remarkable recoveries after breaking his neck three times, Avila introduces the "Not Today" philosophy, a practical approach to resilience, perseverance, and overcoming adversity. More than a memoir, the book offers readers actionable lessons for navigating setbacks in their careers, relationships, health, and personal lives.
Hall of Fame Athlete Mike Avila Reveals the Mindset That Helped Him Break His Neck Three Times and Come Back Every Single Tim
New Book NOT TODAY Introduces the “Not Today” Philosophy for Anyone Who Has Ever Felt Like Quitting
What does it take to win 27 National Championships, build a successful multi-million dollar business from the ground up, and come back from paralysis not once, not twice, but three times? For legendary water ski racer Mike Avila, the answer is two words: Not Today.
Avila’s debut book, NOT TODAY: The Secret to Never Giving Up, is a raw, inspiring, and deeply practical guide to developing the unshakeable mindset that has defined his extraordinary life. Published in 2025, the book draws on Avila’s decades as a world-class competitor, his battles with career-ending injuries, personal loss, addiction, and grief and the relentless inner voice that refused to let him quit.
“I wrote this book to give others the strength I found inside myself. The strength to never give up.”
— Mike Avila
ABOUT THE BOOK
NOT TODAY is not just a sports memoir. It is a blueprint for resilience that applies to every aspect of life career setbacks, relationship struggles, health challenges, grief, and the quiet, everyday battles that shape who we become.
Avila introduces readers to the “Not Today” mindset a deceptively simple but transformative philosophy rooted in the belief that adversity does not define you; your response to it does. Readers will discover:
• How to respond to adversity on your own terms
• The crucial difference between getting beat and losing
• Why self-belief is the foundation of every comeback
• How perseverance and fear are more connected than most people realize
• Practical strategies for overcoming grief, addiction, and fear of failure
• Why giving back is one of the most powerful ways to move forward
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Avila is one of the most decorated water ski racers in history. Over a career spanning multiple decades, he accumulated 27 National Championships, 31 High Point Championships, five World Team Championships, and eight consecutive Marathon Series Championships during the most competitive era in the sport’s history.
In 2002, Avila became the first racing-only athlete ever inducted into the Water Ski Hall of Fame a distinction achieved despite suffering three separate career-ending injuries, including breaking his neck three times and experiencing paralysis. Each time, he returned to competition and continued to win.
Beyond athletics, Avila built a thriving construction business and is a devoted mentor, coach, and family man whose greatest pride lies not in his trophies, but in the lives he has helped transform.
PRAISE FOR NOT TODAY
“He attacks life head on every day and lives it to the fullest. I hope after reading this book that you are inspired to look at challenges in your life with the same mindset as Mike: ‘Not Today!’”
— Aric Almirola, Motorsports Racing Driver
MEDIA & BOOKING INQUIRIES
For review copies, author interviews, or speaking engagement inquiries, please contact:
Email: Info@bestsellersllc.com
Phone: 2138367516
Website: www.Bestsellersllc.com
