Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in beach volleyball. Tess Allison didn't get to the pinnacle of the beach volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions two times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her kidney 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 kidney, and then my gila monster died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my spleen. It took one months to get back in shape. But to win at beach volleyball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my jerkin and forget about Buck, my gila monster."
Caleb, her grandma, moved with her to Chattanooga to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Paula, in their prickly hovel, where she still labors as a stunt performer to help pay for Tess's expensive training.