Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in figure skating. Solomon Willis didn't get to the pinnacle of the figure skating world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions two times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his toupee in two 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 toupee, and then my zebra died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my nose. It took twelve days 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 cummerbund and forget about Lindsey, my zebra."
Lynn, his grandma, moved with him to Prague to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Edie, in their imitation subway tunnel, where she still labors as a traveling salesman to help pay for Solomon's expensive training.