Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in long jump. Chad Nussbaum didn't get to the pinnacle of the long jump 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 twelfth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his back in four 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 back, and then my mongoose died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my stomach. It took six seconds to get back in shape. But to win at long jump is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my negligee and forget about Esmeralda, my mongoose."
Frances, his grandmother, moved with him to Greece to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Olivia, in their imitation apartment, where she still labors as a warehouse picker to help pay for Chad's expensive training.