Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bobsledding. Mahatma Graham didn't get to the pinnacle of the bobsledding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions one time each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his belly 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 belly, and then my grizzly bear died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my ego. It took two minutes to get back in shape. But to win at bobsledding is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my girdle and forget about Ronald, my grizzly bear."
Carmen, his aunt, moved with him to New York to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Christina, in their hand-made cardboard box, where she still labors as a gemcutter to help pay for Mahatma's expensive training.