Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in canoeing. Tommy Vintner didn't get to the pinnacle of the canoeing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions three times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his spine 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 spine, and then my gopher died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my pinky. It took seven 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 big smile and forget about Audra, my gopher."
Denise, his main squeeze, moved with him to Philadelphia to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Helen, in their loose ranch house, where she still labors as a stamp collector to help pay for Tommy's expensive training.