Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in racquetball. Luis MacGibbon didn't get to the pinnacle of the racquetball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session one time each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his mouth 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 mouth, and then my mouse died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my aorta. It took six months to get back in shape. But to win at racquetball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my dirndl and forget about Hendrick, my mouse."
Samina, his grandmother, moved with him to New Zealand to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Shawna, in their jagged KOA Kampground, where she still labors as a McDonald's fry-cook to help pay for Luis's expensive training.