Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in pole vault. Solomon McGee didn't get to the pinnacle of the pole vault world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions one time each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his eyelash 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 eyelash, and then my seal died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my thigh. It took ten hours to get back in shape. But to win at pole vault is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my blazer and forget about Emile, my seal."
Gilbert, his dad, moved with him to Madagascar to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Malcolm, in their gooey nunnery, where he still labors as a flutist to help pay for Solomon's expensive training.