Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in rugby. Harold Cohen didn't get to the pinnacle of the rugby world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions two times each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his kneecap in three 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 kneecap, and then my teddy bear died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my spleen. It took seven lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at rugby is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of contact lenses and forget about Lucille, my teddy bear."
Dirk, his wife, moved with him to Malta to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Zachary, in their imported sod house, where he still labors as a rabbi to help pay for Harold's expensive training.