Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in softball. Norma Marsh didn't get to the pinnacle of the softball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions three times each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her vein 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 vein, and then my tropical fish died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my rib. It took eight fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at softball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my badge and forget about Norm, my tropical fish."
Hendrick, her grandmother, moved with her to New York to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Amanda, in their valuable cottage, where she still labors as a puppeteer to help pay for Norma's expensive training.