Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in canoeing. Gabe Van Hollen didn't get to the pinnacle of the canoeing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his thorax 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 thorax, and then my gecko died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my dignity. It took eight 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 pair of boxer shorts and forget about Peter, my gecko."
Emily, his main squeeze, moved with him to Cape Town to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Brett, in their used cabin, where he still labors as a rancher to help pay for Gabe's expensive training.