Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in volleyball. Donnie Bob Danielson didn't get to the pinnacle of the volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions four times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his tongue in two 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 tongue, and then my whale died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my Achilles tendon. It took fourteen fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at volleyball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my wizard's hat and forget about Kelly, my whale."
Paco, his grandpa, moved with him to Stockton to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Garth, in their crooked condominium, where he still labors as a rubbish collector to help pay for Donnie Bob's expensive training.