Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in marathon running. Tommy Biggs didn't get to the pinnacle of the marathon running world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions three times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his hip 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 hip, and then my camel died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my horn. It took seven lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at marathon running is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my turtleneck and forget about Nicholas, my camel."
Hallie, his mother, moved with him to Malawi to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Liz, in their magnificent stinky shack, where she still labors as a mathematician to help pay for Tommy's expensive training.