Rick Mater

Author

Rick Mater is a longtime runner and Emmy-nominated TV executive living in Los Angeles. He was born in Pinner, England, and grew up in California, New Jersey, and Munich, Germany. A miler in high school, he lettered in cross-country in college and has run the Grand Canyon twice as a cardiac patient. A heart attack survivor, he has four stents in his left anterior descending artery and a defibrillator implanted in the side of his chest. He is the author of the critically-acclaimed novel Beat. Formerly married, he has two 20-something children.

Six Hours: Running for My Life in the Grand Canyon tells the true story of one man’s attempt to defy the odds and run the Grand Canyon as a 64-year-old cardiac patient with multiple stents in his “widow-maker” artery. It’s 17 treacherous miles to the bottom and back up to the South Rim. Ultimately, the high-risk run becomes more than an athletic endeavor, as it compels him to reflect on life, mortality, and his legacy.