Prepare to be amazed. This is the incredible true story of Jimmy Corso, a member of the Saranac Lake High School Sports Hall of Fame. But this is not a sports story, and life wasn’t all good for Corso.
Jimmy's younger years were chaotic at best. His father’s alcoholism and his mother's mental illness led to great instability, and the family was so frequently uprooted that Jimmy attended ten different schools by the time he reached the age of fifteen. He failed at each level from kindergarten through third grade. Finally, at age 9, test scores determined that Jimmy was mentally retarded. That stigma would affect him for the rest of his life.
Attending high school in Saranac Lake began the turnaround for Jimmy, but it would be a long, hard battle. He persevered, and his life became a truly amazing story. The sordid details of his younger days were held inside, hidden from family, friends, and colleagues as he became a successful teacher. He only revealed the story after he retired, finally enduring the catharsis of putting his saga on paper.
In Jimmy's own words, "It was a heartbreaking book to write, but I had to get my message out. I did it to teach the value of perseverance. A kid can read it and realize that their life isn’t going down the tubes. If I could do it, so can they."
It's all here. Read it and gain new pride in your Adirondack roots. The good people of New York's northern mountains are credited by Jimmy with helping him turn a near-impossible situation into a life of great value. |
