Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in Chinese checkers. Angie Lewis didn't get to the pinnacle of the Chinese checkers world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions one time each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her knuckle 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 knuckle, and then my polecat died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my aorta. It took eleven seconds to get back in shape. But to win at Chinese checkers is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my rain coat and forget about Gail, my polecat."
Patricia, her aunt, moved with her to New Orleans to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Adrian, in their art deco castle, where he still labors as a coin collector to help pay for Angie's expensive training.