Overcoming The Odds

This week features a captivating story of a man named Tom Meschery.If you’re a fan of the NBA, then you’ll likely remember Tom.The Mad Russian. Number 14 for the Philadelphia and Golden State Warriors and the Seattle Supersonics. Teammate of Wilt Chamberlain.When it comes to life stories, Tom has an amazing one. It starts with overcoming adversity as a child, rising to become a star in the NBA, staggering under the weight of a terminal illness at 65, finally meeting the love of his life and now writing mystery novels that sell well at the age of 85.It could be a story  sprung from the mind of a Hollywood screenwriter. But it isn’t. Because it’s true.Tom was born Tomislav Mescheryiakov. His parents were Russian; his father an officer in the White Russian Army.At the outset of the Russian Revolution, the family fled to Manchuria. But when the Japanese invaded China, Tom, his mother and sister spent the war in a Japanese internment camp before being allowed to emigrate to the United States.Click the podcast link above to listen to this fascinating story.. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit theart2aging.substack.com/subscribe