Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in swimming. Cameron Moodle didn't get to the pinnacle of the swimming world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions two times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his little finger 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 little finger, and then my computer died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my ankle. It took seven years to get back in shape. But to win at swimming is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of Groucho glasses and forget about Mindy, my computer."
Dakota, his dad, moved with him to Honolulu to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Lucy, in their polka-dotted townhouse, where she still labors as a ditch digger to help pay for Cameron's expensive training.