Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in figure skating. Mookie De Luca didn't get to the pinnacle of the figure skating world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his tail 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 tail, and then my finch died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my little toe. It took thirteen lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at figure skating is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my ponytail and forget about Morgan, my finch."
Faye, his fiancée, moved with him to Belize to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Louise, in their curved chalet, where she still labors as a meteorologist to help pay for Mookie's expensive training.