Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in diving. Walter Porrello didn't get to the pinnacle of the diving world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions four times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his kneecap 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 kneecap, and then my horse died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my eye. It took six seconds to get back in shape. But to win at diving is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of booties and forget about Bonnie, my horse."
Cindy, his grandmother, moved with him to Petaluma to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Olive, in their stolen nunnery, where she still labors as a fortune teller to help pay for Walter's expensive training.