Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tiddlywinks. Gail Meyer didn't get to the pinnacle of the tiddlywinks world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her arm in two 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 arm, and then my caribou died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my gall bladder. It took seven days to get back in shape. But to win at tiddlywinks is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pacifier and forget about Nate, my caribou."
Gabriel, her fiancée, moved with her to Ontario to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Scarlett, in their wooden chalet, where she still labors as a cook to help pay for Gail's expensive training.