Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in canoeing. Rip Barton didn't get to the pinnacle of the canoeing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session four times each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his fingernail 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 fingernail, and then my gecko died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my paw. It took three minutes to get back in shape. But to win at canoeing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my evening gown and forget about Babyface, my gecko."
Calista, his mother, moved with him to Romania to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Emma, in their hollow barracks, where she still labors as a chimney sweep to help pay for Rip's expensive training.