The rugged, windswept cliffs of Madeira, a small island isolated in the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, seem an improbable birthplace for a man who would eventually command the attention of billions. For a young boy born in 1985, this salt-sprayed landscape was not a vacation destination but a grueling training ground for a life that would eventually redefine the limits of human achievement. Today, as a resurfaced childhood photograph of this boy sweeps across social media, the world is forced to reconcile the image of a shy, gap-toothed kid with the towering, bronzed icon who now dominates the...
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