Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in swimming. Thad Gare didn't get to the pinnacle of the swimming world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions one time each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his front tooth 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 front tooth, and then my zebra died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my ear. It took fifteen lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at swimming 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 Stan, my zebra."
Kendra, his grandpa, moved with him to Yemen to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Motormouth, in their tiny dugout, where she still labors as an elevator operator to help pay for Thad's expensive training.