More than a million people suffer through the uncomfortable and often embarrassing symptoms of inflammatory bowel disease.

A local man who gained fame as a college baseball coach is now gaining national attention as a survivor of Crohn’s disease and is sharing his story to help others who may be suffering in silence.

On the baseball field, Mike Florak not only found success, he found an escape. "That's where your sanctuary is. And that's kind of like my release, where I didn't have to think about it any more," said Florak.

In his mid-teens, playing his first baseball games at Vacarro Field Florak first experienced it: weakness, abdominal cramps, and frequent trips to the bathroom.

"You know, it's those kind of bodily functions that you take for granted every day. And all of a sudden, it's taken away from you and you're going back to an almost infantile state where you have no control over your body."

Florak’s memoir “Healthier Than Normal” chronicles his battle with Crohn’s disease, a painful inflammatory bowel disorder.

It tells the story of his dramatic weight loss, month long hospital stays, and his struggle with the decision to ultimately have his colon removed.

A surgery he thought would end his life.

Instead, it gave him a new life.

"Since then, God blessed me with good health and I've been fortunate to be able to move on with my life."

With his Crohn’s in remission, he moved on to a successful coaching career at Youngstown State.

After taking that team to a league championship and its first NCAA tournament appearance, a gut feeling pulled him in a new direction.

He walked away from baseball and began traveling the country sharing his story as a motivational speaker.

"It's become a focal point of my life and a mission to just tell people 'hey, you know, even though this happened to you, you can still go on and live your life."

Walking in the outfield with Florak, you can tell the field is still his sanctuary.

His mission is on the other side of the fence.

"It's been a rewarding period of my life and I'm glad to be here to help."

Florak got national attention this year as the winner of a “Great Comebacks” award, sponsored by the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America.

Past winners include Mary Ann Mobley and former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow.

He plans to continue speaking nationally and has an outline for a second book.

MORE DETAILS: Link to Mike Florak's website