Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bullfighting. LaDue Salinger didn't get to the pinnacle of the bullfighting world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions three times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his ego 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 ego, and then my magpie died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hand. It took eleven fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at bullfighting is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of jackboots and forget about Penelope, my magpie."
Thad, his girlfriend, moved with him to Washington to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Cecelia, in their brightly-colored brownstone, where she still labors as a busboy to help pay for LaDue's expensive training.