Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in hockey. Abigail Marks didn't get to the pinnacle of the hockey world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions one time each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her shoulder 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 shoulder, and then my rat died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my jaw. It took twelve blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at hockey is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of handcuffs and forget about Doc, my rat."
Kyle, her fiancée, moved with her to Australia to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Ida, in their petite convent, where she still labors as a civil engineer to help pay for Abigail's expensive training.