Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in figure skating. Clyde Peterson didn't get to the pinnacle of the figure skating world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions four times each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his Achilles tendon 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 Achilles tendon, and then my flamingo died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my belly button. It took seven years to get back in shape. But to win at figure skating is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my set of football pads and forget about Gladys, my flamingo."
Deena, his sister-in-law, moved with him to Zambia to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Betsy, in their handy palace, where she still labors as a millionaire to help pay for Clyde's expensive training.