Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in fishing. Pete Kissling didn't get to the pinnacle of the fishing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions two times each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his heel 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 heel, and then my peacock died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my scalp. It took eight minutes to get back in shape. But to win at fishing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my set of football pads and forget about Beelzebub, my peacock."
Nathan, his sister-in-law, moved with him to Greensboro to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Rosemary, in their primitive boxcar, where she still labors as a manicurist to help pay for Pete's expensive training.