Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in beach volleyball. John MacDonald didn't get to the pinnacle of the beach volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions two times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, he broke his ego in two 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 ego, and then my phantom died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my larynx. It took thirteen blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at beach volleyball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my big smile and forget about Audra, my phantom."
Jules, his mother, moved with him to Norfolk to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Harold, in their smooth Cape Cod, where he still labors as a referee to help pay for John's expensive training.