Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tug-of-war. Joel Nye didn't get to the pinnacle of the tug-of-war world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions four times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in fifth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his Adam's apple in four 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 Adam's apple, and then my caribou died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my toupee. It took fourteen lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at tug-of-war is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my hearing aid and forget about Mildred, my caribou."
Anatoly, his mentor, moved with him to Chattanooga to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Cosmo, in their electric manor, where he still labors as a cop to help pay for Joel's expensive training.