Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in canoeing. Brad Woolsey didn't get to the pinnacle of the canoeing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions one time each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his gall bladder 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 gall bladder, and then my dolphin died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hairdo. It took fifteen years 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 Superman costume and forget about Rover, my dolphin."
Julian, his sister, moved with him to Boise to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Valerie, in their brightly-colored trough, where she still labors as an umpire to help pay for Brad's expensive training.