Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in walking. Darryl Cramer didn't get to the pinnacle of the walking world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions three times each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth 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 antelope died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my wrist. It took seven years to get back in shape. But to win at walking is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of culottes and forget about Tawny, my antelope."
Spud, his grandfather, moved with him to Burbank to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Merna, in their peculiar homeless shelter, where she still labors as an inventor to help pay for Darryl's expensive training.