Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in gymnastics. Socks Coleman didn't get to the pinnacle of the gymnastics world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions one time each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his larynx in two 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 larynx, and then my deer died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my brain. It took fourteen days to get back in shape. But to win at gymnastics is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my towel and forget about Rebecca, my deer."
Sinclair, his wife, moved with him to Utah to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Plato, in their mysterious cottage, where he still labors as a cook to help pay for Socks's expensive training.