Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in marathon running. Isaac Jackson didn't get to the pinnacle of the marathon running world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions two times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his hand 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 hand, and then my hawk died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tummy. It took two minutes to get back in shape. But to win at marathon running is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my mask and forget about Aristotle, my hawk."
Briget, his sister-in-law, moved with him to Swaziland to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Pleasance, in their autographed hotel, where she still labors as a court jester to help pay for Isaac's expensive training.