Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tiddlywinks. Conrad Vidmar didn't get to the pinnacle of the tiddlywinks world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions three times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in fifth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his knuckle 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 knuckle, and then my Siamese cat died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my pituitary gland. It took eleven fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at tiddlywinks is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of combat boots and forget about Dagmar, my Siamese cat."
Mabel, his grandmother, moved with him to the Czech Republic to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Pablo, in their small wigwam, where he still labors as a sailor to help pay for Conrad's expensive training.