Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bicycling. Brent Collins didn't get to the pinnacle of the bicycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions two times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his appendix 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 appendix, and then my dog died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my ego. It took four centuries to get back in shape. But to win at bicycling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my set of scrubs and forget about Giselle, my dog."
Clyde, his mother-in-law, moved with him to Niger to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, André, in their cardboard mansion, where he still labors as a carpenter to help pay for Brent's expensive training.