Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in soccer. Mahatma McDonald didn't get to the pinnacle of the soccer world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions four times each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his jaw in four 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 jaw, and then my weasel died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my ego. It took six weeks to get back in shape. But to win at soccer is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my badge and forget about Xaviera, my weasel."
Tori, his main squeeze, moved with him to Georgia to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Cyrus, in their torn housing project, where he still labors as a maid to help pay for Mahatma's expensive training.