Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in chess. Hilda Sharpe didn't get to the pinnacle of the chess world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions four times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her belly button 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 belly button, and then my falcon died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my leg. It took eleven fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at chess is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my maxi skirt and forget about Wilma, my falcon."
Harvey, her grandpa, moved with her to Colombia to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Mildred, in their jagged villa, where she still labors as a handyman to help pay for Hilda's expensive training.