Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tug-of-war. Jimmie Lee Garvey didn't get to the pinnacle of the tug-of-war world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions three times each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his thigh 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 thigh, and then my boar died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my leg. It took ten lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at tug-of-war is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my armband and forget about Kyle, my boar."
Herb, his aunt, moved with him to Romania to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Travis, in their delicate chalet, where he still labors as a traveling salesman to help pay for Jimmie Lee's expensive training.