Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in hockey. Bix Wykes didn't get to the pinnacle of the hockey world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions four times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his little toe 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 little toe, and then my pig died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my leg. It took eleven minutes to get back in shape. But to win at hockey is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my romper and forget about Bub, my pig."
Isaac, his sister, moved with him to Niger to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Eileen, in their crooked teepee, where she still labors as a soldier to help pay for Bix's expensive training.