Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in golf. Vilmer Durand didn't get to the pinnacle of the golf world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions three times each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his brain 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 brain, and then my duck-billed platypus died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my scalp. It took six weeks to get back in shape. But to win at golf is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my cocktail dress and forget about Hallie, my duck-billed platypus."
Karla, his grandmother, moved with him to West Virginia to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Seema, in their colossal box, where she still labors as a bootlegger to help pay for Vilmer's expensive training.