Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in gymnastics. Nate Kilroy didn't get to the pinnacle of the gymnastics world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions two times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his jaw 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 jaw, and then my skunk died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my brain. It took fourteen minutes 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 sarong and forget about Wendell, my skunk."
Mindy, his mother, moved with him to Thailand to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Harry, in their ruined penthouse, where he still labors as a physicist to help pay for Nate's expensive training.