Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in softball. Lucas Booth didn't get to the pinnacle of the softball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions two times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in fifth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his thyroid gland 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 thyroid gland, and then my anaconda died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my skull. It took three years to get back in shape. But to win at softball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my ski mask and forget about Demetrius, my anaconda."
Rutherford, his grandpa, moved with him to Prague to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Morgan, in their rare Victorian mansion, where he still labors as a travel agent to help pay for Lucas's expensive training.