Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in table tennis. Shamus Rebensdorf didn't get to the pinnacle of the table tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions two times each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in fifth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his thigh in four 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 thigh, and then my oyster died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my lung. It took six decades to get back in shape. But to win at table tennis is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my Armani suit and forget about Mary Lou, my oyster."
Sierra, his sister, moved with him to Birmingham to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Barnabas, in their smelly villa, where he still labors as a page to help pay for Shamus's expensive training.