Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in rock climbing. Malcolm McIntire didn't get to the pinnacle of the rock climbing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session two times each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his pituitary gland 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 pituitary gland, and then my fish died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my toe. It took eleven decades to get back in shape. But to win at rock climbing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my wristwatch and forget about Jules, my fish."
Nicole, his mother-in-law, moved with him to Cambodia to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Esmeralda, in their dusty junk car, where she still labors as a prankster to help pay for Malcolm's expensive training.