Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in beach volleyball. Kristi Morrissey didn't get to the pinnacle of the beach volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions two times each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her wig 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 wig, and then my walrus died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my little finger. It took ten 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 parka and forget about Sissy, my walrus."
Bub, her mother-in-law, moved with her to Brussels to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Chad, in their decrepit park bench, where he still labors as a radiologist to help pay for Kristi's expensive training.