Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in badminton. Emma Cheng didn't get to the pinnacle of the badminton world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions one time each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her appendix 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 appendix, and then my eel died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my big toe. It took two centuries 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 sport coat and forget about Elizabeth, my eel."
Dianna, her mother, moved with her to Podunk Hollow to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Andy, in their woven retreat, where he still labors as a social worker to help pay for Emma's expensive training.