Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in Chinese checkers. Socks Yoshida didn't get to the pinnacle of the Chinese checkers world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session two times each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his belly button 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 belly button, and then my hamster died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my gut. It took six hours to get back in shape. But to win at Chinese checkers is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my wet suit and forget about Louis, my hamster."
Starla, his grandma, moved with him to Cambodia to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Cosmo, in their miniature Victorian mansion, where he still labors as an author to help pay for Socks's expensive training.