Born and bred in Fribourg, Switzerland, Vasella had experience with medicine all too early.

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"Jimmy earned his stripes under adversity, " adds Paul Fribourg, a Loews director and chairman of ContiGroup, a global food company.

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For an explanation why, I turned to Franz Werro, an expert on Swiss law at Georgetown Law and University of Fribourg in Switzerland.

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Around Fribourg, an area in western Switzerland that rises between two big lakes, I ate a pure Vacherin fondue, instead of the mix of cheeses that is common.

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Christophe Demierre, who runs a molecular-cuisine cooking school from his home kitchen in the Fribourg region, makes fondue as a mousse and a powder that are meant to be eaten individually.

WSJ: In Search Of: Switzerland's Best Fondue

The following season he played for Fribourg in the Swiss LNB before heading to Iceland for the 2009-2010 season when he turned out for FSU Selfoss where he recorded impressive figures of 19 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per outing.

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