Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in table tennis. Ray Van Hook didn't get to the pinnacle of the table tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions three times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his heart in four 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 heart, and then my puppy died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my kneecap. It took fourteen seconds to get back in shape. But to win at table tennis is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my diamond bracelet and forget about Lindsay, my puppy."
Lucifer, his grandmother, moved with him to Athens to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Jürgen, in their magnificent loft, where he still labors as a race car driver to help pay for Ray's expensive training.