Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in cycling. Cheng Boodler didn't get to the pinnacle of the cycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions one time each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his forehead 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 forehead, and then my mole died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hangnail. It took eight eternities to get back in shape. But to win at cycling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my G-string and forget about Penelope, my mole."
Seth, his grandfather, moved with him to Louisiana to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Clarisa, in their mechanical nunnery, where she still labors as a flutist to help pay for Cheng's expensive training.