Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in running. Terence Gare didn't get to the pinnacle of the running world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions four times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his beard 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 beard, and then my dolphin died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my nostril. It took eleven months to get back in shape. But to win at running is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my tank top and forget about Knuckles, my dolphin."
Richard, his grandma, moved with him to the Czech Republic to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Diane, in their broken geodesic dome, where she still labors as a watchmaker to help pay for Terence's expensive training.