Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in racquetball. Cameron Lord didn't get to the pinnacle of the racquetball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions three times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his earlobe 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 earlobe, and then my hog died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my mouth. It took ten days 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 hoop skirt and forget about Cosmo, my hog."
Eddie, his grandpa, moved with him to Manchester to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Phyllis, in their smumpy subway tunnel, where she still labors as a mediator to help pay for Cameron's expensive training.