Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in marathon running. Fred Kaiser didn't get to the pinnacle of the marathon running world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions one time each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his aorta in three 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 aorta, and then my mole died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my throat. It took four days to get back in shape. But to win at marathon running is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my parka and forget about Willard, my mole."
Brenda, his main squeeze, moved with him to Honolulu to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Mildred, in their shiny Cape Cod, where she still labors as a jazz musician to help pay for Fred's expensive training.