Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in canoeing. Clive Delgado didn't get to the pinnacle of the canoeing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions two times each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his kneecap 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 kneecap, and then my bumblebee died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my brain. It took eight weeks 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 beard and forget about Susanne, my bumblebee."
Jeff, his mother-in-law, moved with him to the Philippines to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Petunia, in their clean houseboat, where she still labors as a physicist to help pay for Clive's expensive training.