Sit to Rise: Turning Your Darkest Pain into Your Brightest Victory

By Patric Young

In "Sit to Rise," former Florida Gators basketball star Patric Young takes readers on an extraordinary journey of resilience, determination, and triumph in the face of unimaginable adversity. This poignant and inspiring memoir chronicles Patric's life-altering experience following a tragic car accident in the summer of 2022, which left him paral

• Language: English
• Publisher: Streamline Books
• Release date: Oct 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9798891650237

Book preview

Preface

Throughout this book, you will read Journal Entries preceding each chapter, along with some pictures that capture moments from my recovery journey. These entries are from the actual journal I kept in the months following the worst day of my life. The words are real, raw, and from a deep place of suffering, yet an unspeakable joy. It’s the weirdest thing looking back on those words, but I hope they encourage you, whichever season of life you may be in.

Introduction

Journal Entry from February 12, 2023

So many things about revisiting the hardest and darkest times of my life are unspeakably difficult.

Thinking about how my accident altered the vision my wife and I had of our lives.

Seeing the photos from when I was in the hospital in Denver, and recalling how I poured my heart and soul into my journal.

All of these make it hard to remain present, as fears of what my future will look like begin to creep back into my mind.

Why would I put myself through this again? Half a year out from my accident, life has begun to normalize, and I am rooted in a hope that has come directly from God. I may not have the individual strength to overcome my circumstances, but I still have the choice to show up on a daily basis for myself, my family, and my friends. People desire ‘big faith’ but see the opportunity to develop that faith through big problems. What better place for me to be than 100% dependent on what God is going to do in my life?

This book had to be written, as I know my story and perspective will impact at least one person. I have learned so much about life and myself in such a short time, that it would be a disservice for me to waste my pain. My story is not done, nor is yours. When we’re in the middle of circumstances that aren’t ideal, don’t give up—leave it all on the table. Live full and die empty. That’s how I’m choosing to live from this point on. Will you join me?

Why Write This Book? (A 30-Year Introduction)

While I’d be satisfied with impacting just one person with my story, my honest hope and desire is to reach as many people as possible and to deliver the hope that is found in the greatest story ever told (spoiler alert: it’s not mine). 

With this in mind, I believe it's important to introduce myself and provide context on my upbringing before delving into the life-changing moments that shaped my story. I'm grateful for the blessings in my life and the experiences I've had in such a short span of time. As excited as I am for what the rest of my life may bring, I know it’s equally important to remember where we came from and the people who made us.

I was born on February 1, 1992, at eight pounds and seven ounces to Robert and Bennita Young—the youngest of their two children. 

An interesting fact about my childhood is that from an early age, our family doctor predicted that I would be roughly 6'9.

It was a bold prediction given that my father is 6'3 and my mother is 5'7. So, when anyone asks "How are you so tall?" I have no explanation and say they can take it up with my Maker.

As a whole, I was a happy child growing up and had no pressing needs in the suburbs of Jacksonville, Florida. In fact, I’d say I had a truly wonderful childhood that was filled with the presence of my parents and access to great neighborhood friends. Nowadays, It's strange to think about having seven or eight best friends within walking distance. Furthermore, being able to contact them without a cell phone, internet access, or social media. In the present day, those organic interactions aren’t nearly as frequent among youth.

Growing up alongside my friends and sharing our lives has left me with cherished memories of my childhood. We played football, baseball, and basketball together—we loved anything that involved competition and camaraderie. Sure, we played our share of video games and did stupid boys will be boys kinds of things, but being active with each other through sports is what I recall the most. 

As we matured, so did our interests. I don't believe we began to grow apart because of our interests changing, but looking back, I believe the environment played a pivotal role in the development of each of our lives. Children are usually subject to the environment they're placed in, be it their households or school environments. Although I grew up in a Jacksonville neighborhood where my local school was not the best option, my father and mother worked hard to make a college-prepratory middle school and high school a possibility.

While academics were one thing I tried to focus on, It’s wild to me how drastically my life changed as I developed into being more athletically gifted than any other kids in my neighborhood. Early on, my dad got me into baseball and, ironically, the first baseball team I played for was named the Gators. A bit of a prophecy, you could say. In his heyday, my father played football for the Jacksonville Bulls (United States Football League—a professional football league separate from the NFL), which provided some cool conversations and connections with his professional athlete friends. Even though my mother didn’t have my father’s level of athleticism, she more than made up for it with her intellect. She’s always been more of an academic type—without a doubt the smartest person I know. She was the first African-American woman to graduate from Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL. She went on to major in chemistry at Davidson College and was a chemistry teacher and nurse throughout my childhood. My dad was smart in his own right, but even he would say any ‘brains’ I have are derived from her.

As mentioned earlier, faith was a big part of my family growing up—there wasn't a year I don't remember being involved in our local church. Many of the great friendships I had outside of my neighborhood are because of church, and I am eternally grateful for each one of them. Yet, of all my friendships growing up—church or neighborhood—my closest friend was the one I was born with-my older sister, Sara.

Sara was one of the biggest influences in my life. I didn't have an older brother, so I looked up to her for a lot of things. To be ‘cool’ like her meant diving deep into Nsync, the Backstreet Boys, and so many bands in between. Full disclosure, I still dip into music from those artists from time to time as a nod to those formative years. They helped me to develop a keen ear for really talented artists with unique sounds.

I thrived when with my friends and sister, but on my own, I was somewhat of an awkward kid. I guess every kid goes through their own awkward phase in those pre-teen years—concerned about being liked and wanting to be seen as cool. In middle school, I went to the same school my dad taught at, which was not the easiest transition for an adolescent trying to figure themself out. Looking back, I’m grateful for the extra time I got to spend in his presence—even though I had little room for stepping out of line since my father was an arm’s length away