Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in table tennis. Valentina Nelson didn't get to the pinnacle of the table tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions three times each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her neck 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 neck, and then my tapeworm died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my pride. It took eight weeks 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 pair of Bermuda shorts and forget about Kenneth, my tapeworm."
Frankie, her mother, moved with her to Lubbock to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Douglas, in their colossal wigwam, where he still labors as a masseuse to help pay for Valentina's expensive training.