Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in cricket. Dennis Drake didn't get to the pinnacle of the cricket world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions one time each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his bladder 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 bladder, and then my brine shrimp died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my nostril. It took five years to get back in shape. But to win at cricket is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my trench coat and forget about Calista, my brine shrimp."
Sig, his sister-in-law, moved with him to Belarus to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Debbie, in their stuffed cabin, where she still labors as a veterinarian to help pay for Dennis's expensive training.