Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bobsledding. Jules Hopper 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 week, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his stomach 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 stomach, and then my walrus died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my funny bone. It took two years 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 bonnet and forget about Betty, my walrus."
Lindy, his mentor, moved with him to Madison to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Donald, in their abnormal farmhouse, where he still labors as an insurance agent to help pay for Jules's expensive training.