Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in fencing. Calvin Scoville didn't get to the pinnacle of the fencing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions three times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his artery 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 artery, and then my chimpanzee died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my abdomen. It took six blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at fencing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my bib and forget about Clifton, my chimpanzee."
Wes, his mommy, moved with him to Botswana to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Doralene, in their dusty manor, where she still labors as a dry cleaner operator to help pay for Calvin's expensive training.