Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in racquetball. Lilya Rutherford didn't get to the pinnacle of the racquetball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions three times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her forehead in two 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 forehead, and then my gopher died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my chin. It took eight eternities 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 ski mask and forget about Kaylee, my gopher."
Magnolia, her sister, moved with her to Kenya to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Tyler, in their modern boxcar, where he still labors as a locksmith to help pay for Lilya's expensive training.