Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in racquetball. Gunther Gonzalez didn't get to the pinnacle of the racquetball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions two times each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in fifth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his Adam's apple in three 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 Adam's apple, and then my otter died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my ankle. It took thirteen blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at racquetball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my flak jacket and forget about Clyde, my otter."
Gail, his fiancée, moved with him to Buenos Aires to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Pearl, in their gross parsonage, where she still labors as a dog walker to help pay for Gunther's expensive training.