Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in figure skating. Chad Fosbury didn't get to the pinnacle of the figure skating world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions two times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his back 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 back, and then my eagle died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my mouth. It took ten days to get back in shape. But to win at figure skating is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of jeans and forget about Fran, my eagle."
Alf, his dad, moved with him to Brazil to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Bobbie, in their ridiculous tent, where she still labors as an astronaut to help pay for Chad's expensive training.