Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in beach volleyball. Roxie Cheetham didn't get to the pinnacle of the beach volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her eyelid in four 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 eyelid, and then my prairie dog died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my knuckle. It took fifteen lifetimes 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 mask and forget about Preston, my prairie dog."
Luann, her friend, moved with her to Bellevue to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Lillian, in their filthy motor home, where she still labors as an appliance repairman to help pay for Roxie's expensive training.