Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in table tennis. Kathy Bean didn't get to the pinnacle of the table tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions three times each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her chest 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 chest, and then my garter snake died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my heel. It took two 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 balaclava and forget about Quint, my garter snake."
Marvella, her grandmother, moved with her to Nigeria to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Doralene, in their small junk car, where she still labors as a radio announcer to help pay for Kathy's expensive training.