Victoria Arlen, a Paralympic gold medalist and New Hampshire native, recently celebrated the release of her new book, “The View is Worth It,” at Exeter’s Water Street Bookstore, surrounded by friends, family and supporters.Arlen first gained national attention in 2012 when she was 17. At the time, New Hampshire Chronicle covered her journey training for the Paralympics after emerging from a four-year vegetative state that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She went on to win gold and three silver medals at the London Games, and her story reached audiences far beyond the pool. After regaining some mobility, Arlen competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2017 and transitioned to a career at ESPN as a sideline reporter and anchor. She also shared her story of survival in her first book, “Locked In.” However, behind her public success, Arlen faced a private battle. “I want to say thank you to each and every one of you for coming,” Arlen said at the book event. “As Dan said, a lot of people knew the story of ‘Locked In’ and the miracle and coming out of that. No one really talked about the story that I share in this book. And to be completely candid with all of you, five years ago, I tried to take my own life.” Reflecting on her decision to write another book, Arlen said, “After my first book came out, I was like, ‘I’m never writing a book ever again.’ And anyone who’s written a book knows it is a journey. But then, a few years ago, I went on a really crazy mental health journey.” She added, “Thanks to people intervening and me actually starting the journey of getting help and seeing what healing actually looked like, I realized very quickly how many other people were struggling just like me—people I knew, people I didn’t know—and how could they get help, too? How could they finally enjoy the sunrise like I learned to do?” Arlen hopes her book will serve as a guide for readers navigating their own mental health challenges. “I was like, I don’t want this to be like every other self-help book because it’s already been done,” she said. “I want this to be something that feels approachable and feels like your friend saying, ‘Come on, we’re going to go hiking, and we’re going to go find that summit together.’” “My other book I had to write; I had to set the story straight. This one I got to write. And this one had such a bigger purpose that I’m just really grateful I’m still around to see it,” Arlen said. She hopes her vulnerability will inspire others to seek help. “I hope it’s just humanizing it,” Arlen said. “And if anything, look, did I want to talk about my mental breakdown? No. But if in doing so allows someone else to take that step forward, then that’s everything.” Supporters at the event praised Arlen’s honesty and courage. “That was so inspirational, and for her to be as honest and forthcoming as she is in this book and this group of people tonight—eloquent, heartfelt, and more evidence of why I keep showing up for her,” said Tom Bergeron, TV host and friend of Arlen. “When she started talking about mental health, she’s so compelling when she talks, and I knew there is a really good story here, but it’s a very vulnerable one. But if she’s willing to write it, it could help a lot of people,” said Andrea Converse, collaborative editor of “The View is Worth It.” As Arlen signed books for attendees, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share her story. “I hope this has brought a reminder that it’s OK to stay, and it’s OK to wait for that sunrise, because it does come in. It’s quite beautiful,” Arlen said, concluding the event with applause from the crowd.
EXETER, N.H. —
Victoria Arlen, a Paralympic gold medalist and New Hampshire native, recently celebrated the release of her new book, “The View is Worth It,” at Exeter’s Water Street Bookstore, surrounded by friends, family and supporters.
Arlen first gained national attention in 2012 when she was 17. At the time, New Hampshire Chronicle covered her journey training for the Paralympics after emerging from a four-year vegetative state that left her paralyzed from the waist down.
She went on to win gold and three silver medals at the London Games, and her story reached audiences far beyond the pool. After regaining some mobility, Arlen competed on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2017 and transitioned to a career at ESPN as a sideline reporter and anchor. She also shared her story of survival in her first book, “Locked In.”
However, behind her public success, Arlen faced a private battle.
“I want to say thank you to each and every one of you for coming,” Arlen said at the book event. “As Dan said, a lot of people knew the story of ‘Locked In’ and the miracle and coming out of that. No one really talked about the story that I share in this book. And to be completely candid with all of you, five years ago, I tried to take my own life.”
Reflecting on her decision to write another book, Arlen said, “After my first book came out, I was like, ‘I’m never writing a book ever again.’ And anyone who’s written a book knows it is a journey. But then, a few years ago, I went on a really crazy mental health journey.”
She added, “Thanks to people intervening and me actually starting the journey of getting help and seeing what healing actually looked like, I realized very quickly how many other people were struggling just like me—people I knew, people I didn’t know—and how could they get help, too? How could they finally enjoy the sunrise like I learned to do?”
Arlen hopes her book will serve as a guide for readers navigating their own mental health challenges.
“I was like, I don’t want this to be like every other self-help book because it’s already been done,” she said. “I want this to be something that feels approachable and feels like your friend saying, ‘Come on, we’re going to go hiking, and we’re going to go find that summit together.’”
“My other book I had to write; I had to set the story straight. This one I got to write. And this one had such a bigger purpose that I’m just really grateful I’m still around to see it,” Arlen said.
She hopes her vulnerability will inspire others to seek help.
“I hope it’s just humanizing it,” Arlen said. “And if anything, look, did I want to talk about my mental breakdown? No. But if in doing so allows someone else to take that step forward, then that’s everything.”
Supporters at the event praised Arlen’s honesty and courage.
“That was so inspirational, and for her to be as honest and forthcoming as she is in this book and this group of people tonight—eloquent, heartfelt, and more evidence of why I keep showing up for her,” said Tom Bergeron, TV host and friend of Arlen.
“When she started talking about mental health, she’s so compelling when she talks, and I knew there is a really good story here, but it’s a very vulnerable one. But if she’s willing to write it, it could help a lot of people,” said Andrea Converse, collaborative editor of “The View is Worth It.”
As Arlen signed books for attendees, she expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share her story.
“I hope this has brought a reminder that it’s OK to stay, and it’s OK to wait for that sunrise, because it does come in. It’s quite beautiful,” Arlen said, concluding the event with applause from the crowd.