Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in badminton. Leslie Ellis didn't get to the pinnacle of the badminton world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions three times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her wrist in three 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 wrist, and then my mole died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my liver. It took five fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at badminton is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my flour sack and forget about Angelo, my mole."
Oksana, her mother-in-law, moved with her to Moscow to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Heidi, in their immense duplex, where she still labors as a manager to help pay for Leslie's expensive training.