Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in diving. Dirk Fischer didn't get to the pinnacle of the diving world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions four times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his stomach 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 stomach, and then my dormouse died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my scalp. It took twelve hours to get back in shape. But to win at diving is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my rain coat and forget about Luis, my dormouse."
Cecelia, his fiancée, moved with him to the United Kingdom to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Giovanni, in their fancy hut, where he still labors as a warehouse picker to help pay for Dirk's expensive training.