Back On My Feet
A Story of Resilience, Faith and Recovery
Written by Dr Olivia Ong
Back On My Feet
A Story of Resilience, Faith and Recovery
The accident changed everything.
Doctor. Patient. Survivor.
Dr Olivia Ong’s extraordinary true story of catastrophic spinal cord injury, resilience, and the journey back to walking.
She was told she might never walk again.
Discover the story of how she rebuilt her life.
This unique book will be a guiding light for those finding their way back from overworking to working in flow and anyone wanting to live a life filled with more joy.
The Day Everything Changed.
There is a moment when life splits into before and after.
For Dr Olivia Ong, that moment came without warning.
One day she was a young doctor building her future in medicine, caring for patients, studying the human body, and planning the life ahead of her.
The next moment, everything changed.
A catastrophic accident left her with a devastating spinal cord injury. Suddenly the doctor who had spent years learning how to treat patients was lying in a hospital bed herself, facing the terrifying possibility that she might never walk again.
The future she had imagined was gone.
In its place was a long road of uncertainty, rehabilitation, pain, and the daily challenge of rebuilding a life that no longer looked the same.
But within that struggle, something unexpected began to emerge.
- A deeper understanding of resilience.
- A profound appreciation for hope.
- And the extraordinary capacity of the human body and spirit to recover.
Back On My Feet is the story of that journey.
Filled with uplifting and inspiring stories that inspire us to remember our dreams and the vision for our life and remind us that despite the challenges, there is always a chance to change your life and find more room for joy.
“I went from doctor to patient in an instant.”
Sometimes the hardest experiences reveal the deepest truths about who we are.
In the months and years that followed her injury, Dr Ong faced the physical, emotional and psychological reality of rebuilding her life.
But she also discovered something powerful.
Resilience is not simply about pushing through hardship.
It is about learning how to adapt, how to heal, and how to find meaning even in the most difficult circumstances.
A Story of Resilience, Faith and Recovery
In Back on My Feet, Dr Olivia Ong shares the powerful true story of how she rebuilt her life after a catastrophic spinal cord injury.
From the shock of trauma to the long road of rehabilitation, she invites readers inside the deeply personal journey of recovery with honesty, vulnerability and hope.
This is more than a story about survival.
It is a story about identity, courage, and the strength to start again when everything changes.
Praise for Back On My Feet
“A generous, brave and deeply human memoir.”
Back on My Feet is a generous, brave and deeply human account of a doctor finding her way through illness, identity and recovery while continuing to show up for everyone else. Olivia Ong offers the kind of honesty and insight that quietly changes the reader, reminding us why compassion for ourselves and our patients matters most of all.
Ginni Mansberg
Author of The M Word
“A raw, brilliant read.”
A raw, brilliant read that proves healing is not about bouncing back. It is about becoming someone braver and more human than before.
Shelly Horton
Journalist and Author of I’m Your Peri Godmother
“A generous, brave and deeply human memoir.”
Back on My Feet is a generous, brave and deeply human account of a doctor finding her way through illness, identity and recovery while continuing to show up for everyone else. Olivia Ong offers the kind of honesty and insight that quietly changes the reader, reminding us why compassion for ourselves and our patients matters most of all.
Ginni Mansberg
Author of The M Word
“A raw, brilliant read.”
A raw, brilliant read that proves healing is not about bouncing back. It is about becoming someone braver and more human than before.
Shelly Horton
Journalist and Author of I’m Your Peri Godmother
This book is for anyone who has ever faced a moment when life changed unexpectedly.
If you have ever:
• Faced injury, illness or a life-altering setback
• Wondered how to rebuild your identity after loss
• Searched for hope during an uncertain season
• Been inspired by stories of courage and resilience
• Wanted to understand what it really takes to recover and move forward
Then this story will stay with you
Because Back on My Feet is not only about one person’s recovery.
It is about the universal human capacity to adapt, rebuild, and find meaning even in life’s hardest moments.
From Doctor to patient
Dr Olivia’s powerful memoir of trauma, resilience and rebuilding life after spinal cord injury.
Get a signed copy from Olivia
Order a personally signed copy of Back on My Feet direct from Olivia.
Includes:
✓ Personalised message
✓ Signature
✓ Exclusive bookmark
Australian residents only – ships from Melbourne.
AU $44.99 incl postage
Prefer to buy from your favourite bookstore?
About Dr Olivia Ong
Founder and CEO of Dr Olivia Lee Ong, The Heart-Centred Doctor
Dr Olivia Ong is a TEDx speaker, HarperCollins author, and practising Rehabilitation and Pain Physician whose work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, resilience, leadership and lived experience.
Following a catastrophic spinal cord injury earlier in her life, she rebuilt her career and went on to specialise in rehabilitation and pain medicine.
Her lived experience as both doctor and patient now informs her work helping people understand recovery,
resilience and the science of the nervous system.
Dr Ong is also a sought after keynote speaker who translates complex neuroscience into practical strategies for resilience, burnout recovery and sustainable performance.
Her memoir Back On My Feet shares the powerful story behind that journey.
About Dr Olivia Ong
Founder and CEO of Dr Olivia Lee Ong, The Heart-Centred Doctor
Dr Olivia Ong is a TEDx speaker, HarperCollins author, and practising Rehabilitation and Pain Physician whose work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, resilience, leadership and lived experience.
Following a catastrophic spinal cord injury earlier in her life, she rebuilt her career and went on to specialise in rehabilitation and pain medicine.
Her lived experience as both doctor and patient now informs her work helping people understand recovery,
resilience and the science of the nervous system.
Dr Ong is also a sought after keynote speaker who translates complex neuroscience into practical strategies for resilience, burnout recovery and sustainable performance.
Her memoir Back On My Feet shares the powerful story behind that journey.
