Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tennis. Kelley Yale didn't get to the pinnacle of the tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her esophagus in four places. But this didn't stop her. She seems even more determined to excel at her sport.
"I was really down when I broke my esophagus, and then my beaver died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tooth. It took fourteen years to get back in shape. But to win at tennis is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my blanket and forget about Zack, my beaver."
Vernon, her sister-in-law, moved with her to Athens to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Paul, in their crude resort, where he still labors as a philatelist to help pay for Kelley's expensive training.