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Sports and Spirituality
Spirituality and sports: what is the connection? Many athletes describe the state of being “in the zone,” likening it to a meditation. When I researched extreme sports, the correlation is even more striking. Is it because these athletes are often in settings of spectacular natural beauty, or is it simply because they push their bodies and minds to the edge, with dedication and drive most of us have never felt?
Maria Coffey is a BC author who has spent years delving into these murky depths, and she’ll be at the Whistler Public Library on Tuesday, April 7 at 7 pm. Her new book is called Explorers of the Infinite: the Secret Spiritual Lives of Extreme Athletes – and What They Reveal About Near-Death Experiences, Psychic Communication, and Touching the Beyond. What a title! Even if you are a sofa-surfer athlete, this should be a fascinating evening with Maria and her partner, Dag Goering. Maria will read from the book and discuss how extreme adventure is linked to spiritual and mystical experience, reviewing her research into science and philosophy as well as spirituality. Goering, a photographer, will present a multimedia show of some of the wild places they have traveled.
Coffey’s many previous books include Where the Mountain Casts Its Shadow: The Dark Side of Extreme Adventure and Visions of the Wild: A Voyage by Kayak Around Vancouver Island; she writes of mountaineering, kayaking and sailing, and she and Goering operate a guided adventure company called Hidden Places.
Explorers of the Infinite has garnered rave reviews and high profile attention. It was chosen by O the Oprah Magazine as one the Best Reads of the Summer, and Maria was interviewed by Oprah Winfrey for the Soul Series webcast. The book was featured at the Banff Mountain Book Festival and most recently it won the American Alpine Club’s Literary Award. Copies of the book will be for sale at the event.
Lauren Stara, Library Director