Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bobsledding. Elmer Nye didn't get to the pinnacle of the bobsledding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions two times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his calf 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 calf, and then my coyote died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my abdomen. It took four hours to get back in shape. But to win at bobsledding is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of roller skates and forget about Hayley, my coyote."
Lynette, his grandfather, moved with him to Prague to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Monica, in their big parsonage, where she still labors as an organic farmer to help pay for Elmer's expensive training.