Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in cricket. Dennis Johnson didn't get to the pinnacle of the cricket world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions one time each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his palm in three places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my palm, and then my alligator died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my lip. It took four days to get back in shape. But to win at cricket is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my sombrero and forget about Hildegarde, my alligator."
Bosco, his wife, moved with him to Kansas to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Anatoly, in their coarse mud hut, where he still labors as a scientist to help pay for Dennis's expensive training.