Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in table tennis. Gino Frizzlewump didn't get to the pinnacle of the table tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions four times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his gall bladder 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 gall bladder, and then my horsie died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my waist. It took eight years to get back in shape. But to win at table tennis is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my toga and forget about Allan, my horsie."
Ahmed, his mommy, moved with him to China to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Romeo, in their electric brownstone, where he still labors as a janitor to help pay for Gino's expensive training.