Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in Chinese checkers. Caleb Prescott didn't get to the pinnacle of the Chinese checkers world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions two times each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his little toe 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 little toe, and then my meerkat died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my skin. It took nine lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at Chinese checkers is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my jogging suit and forget about Kylie, my meerkat."
Deng, his dad, moved with him to Paris to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Garrick, in their expensive flat, where he still labors as a restaurant owner to help pay for Caleb's expensive training.