What was it all for?
When a doctor examined Anna Hertel’s damaged knee and asked, “What was it all for?” he was referring to the toll of years of endurance training. But the question opened a deeper reckoning.
In her deeply vivid memoir, Anna traces her journey across continents and finish lines—from survival to endurance on the race course, and toward the slow, layered work of recovery. More than a memoir of sport, Anna’s is a story about what it means to lose and rebuild, and how healing—like endurance—is built one brick at a time.
Through reflective footnotes laced throughout her story, Anna reveals what was hidden in the moment: the mechanics of coercive control, the echoes of ADHD, and the process of reclaiming narrative. These notes invite readers into her journey of making sense of their lived experiences.
Advance Praise
“What a gift to the world! Brick by Brick is such a powerful, courageous, vulnerable, and deeply necessary testament to the ways movement can mend and heal, even in the darkest of times. Through triathlon, Anna doesn’t simply rebuild strength; she rebuilds trust, agency, and a sense of self that trauma tried to take from her. This incredible memoir shows us that healing isn’t a finish line but a series of honest, deliberate steps—much like training itself—and through her story we learn of the unwavering resilience that emerges when discipline, compassion, and courage meet . . . An inspiring reminder that endurance, in sports and in life, can be a pathway not just to survival, but to becoming whole.”
Chrissie Wellington Obe, Four-Time Ironman Triathlon World Champion
“Brick by Brick is a searing, intimate tapestry woven from multiple narrative threads: the impacts of abuse, the healing regulation, rhythm, and dissociation of endurance training, and the therapeutic journey to find an origin story. Anna Hertel shares her exploration of trauma and healing with courage and insight. She shows how trauma lives in the body—and how discipline can both heal and harm. Ultimately, Brick by Brick reveals that healing is not about endurance but about intention, grace, rest, and reset—all through a lens of self-compassion.”
Bruce D. Perry, MD, PhD, Principal of the Neurosequential Network and Coauthor With Oprah Winfrey of The New York Times #1 Bestseller What Happened To You?: Conversations On Trauma, Resilience, and Healing
Press
Anna is available for interviews, features, book events, speaking engagements, and appearances. Please contact Lindsey at lindseyd@amplifypublishing.com.