Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in Chinese checkers. Mary Gustafson didn't get to the pinnacle of the Chinese checkers world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions two times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her eye 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 eye, and then my seal died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hip. It took nine minutes to get back in shape. But to win at Chinese checkers is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my evening gown and forget about Deborah, my seal."
Loretta, her wife, moved with her to Richmond to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Joel, in their mysterious Spanish colonial, where he still labors as an engineer to help pay for Mary's expensive training.