Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in skiing. Francisco Hall didn't get to the pinnacle of the skiing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions three times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in fifth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his finger 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 finger, and then my jackal died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my thorax. It took eight days to get back in shape. But to win at skiing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of shorts and forget about Humphrey, my jackal."
Rodney, his mother, moved with him to West Virginia to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Motormouth, in their bent sod house, where she still labors as a fire marshal to help pay for Francisco's expensive training.