PATRICE WINKEL
Some moments change your life. Others make you wonder how you survived them at all.
Dr. Patrice Winkel has faced illness, devastating accidents, a traumatic brain injury, the force of the Pacific Ocean, unexpected medical emergencies, and experiences that tested both her body and her faith. Through them all, one belief remained constant: she was never facing them alone.
In My Lifeguard Walks on Water, Patrice shares an intimate journey of survival, prayer, resilience, family, and the extraordinary moments she believes revealed God’s presence in her life.
Discover a story of faith that refuses to disappear when life becomes uncertain.
DR. PATRICE WINKEL
Dr. Patrice Winkel is an educator, writer, wife, mother, grandmother, singer, and lifelong woman of faith. She holds a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Northern Iowa and spent 45 years teaching in Illinois and Iowa.
Her first book, My Lifeguard Walks on Water, transforms some of the most difficult moments of her life into a deeply personal exploration of survival, resilience, and trust in God.
Through her writing, Patrice encourages readers to keep living, keep believing, and never assume that an unfinished chapter is the end of the story.
PATRICE WINKEL
How many times can one life be spared before survival begins to feel like something more?
My Lifeguard Walks on Water follows Dr. Patrice Winkel through extraordinary moments that placed her health, future, and sometimes her very life in jeopardy. From childhood surgery and thyroid cancer to terrifying accidents, a traumatic brain injury, a near-drowning in the Pacific Ocean, and later medical uncertainty, Patrice reflects on the faith that carried her through each experience.
Rather than presenting a life untouched by fear, she shares what it means to keep believing while fear is still present.
PATRICE WINKEL
What happens when survival stops feeling like coincidence?
Dr. Patrice Winkel has faced cancer, catastrophic accidents, a traumatic brain injury, the unforgiving force of the Pacific Ocean, and medical uncertainty that still has no final answer.
Yet every time fear arrived, so did prayer.
My Lifeguard Walks on Water is a powerful true story about surviving what seemed impossible, holding onto faith when answers disappear, and discovering that even an unfinished chapter can still contain hope.
PATRICE WINKEL
Every chapter of My Lifeguard Walks on Water captures a moment that challenged Dr. Patrice Winkel physically, emotionally, or spiritually. Together, these experiences reveal a life shaped by survival, family, prayer, and a faith that continues even when the outcome remains uncertain.
The Medical Procedure
Patrice looks back on her childhood in Iowa and the medical procedures she endured from an early age. When surgery damages a facial nerve, faith, family support, and an unexpected recovery become part of her first powerful story of survival.
Thyroid Cancer: The Deadly Killer
While raising a young family, Patrice receives a frightening thyroid cancer diagnosis and undergoes surgery followed by radioactive iodine treatment. Isolation, fear, and uncertainty test her strength, yet prayer and her determination to see her children grow keep her moving forward.
Two Freak Car Accidents
Two frightening accidents—one involving a semi-truck during Patrice’s high-school years and another during a blizzard—bring her dangerously close to tragedy. Looking back, she sees both experiences as reminders of life’s fragility and the divine protection she believes surrounded her.
The Traumatic Brain Injury
A devastating fall down the stairs leaves Patrice with a traumatic brain injury, memory loss, and doctors uncertain whether she will survive. Her recovery becomes intertwined with another challenge: rebuilding her academic work and completing the doctorate she refuses to abandon.
What our Reader says
James
CEO
“Patrice’s story reminds us that courage does not mean living without fear. Her experiences are deeply personal, emotional, and filled with a faith that continues even when life offers no easy answers.”
Emily Johnson
Manager
“My Lifeguard Walks on Water takes readers through extraordinary moments of danger and recovery while never losing sight of what matters most: family, gratitude, prayer, and the determination to keep living.”
Jack
Project Manager
“What stayed with me most was the honesty. Patrice does not pretend every difficult experience ends neatly. She shows that faith can remain strong even in uncertainty, making her journey both moving and encouraging.”