Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tiddlywinks. Natalie Lyman didn't get to the pinnacle of the tiddlywinks world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions one time each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her palm 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 palm, and then my dachshund died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my nose. It took five seconds 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 pair of tights and forget about Janet, my dachshund."
Lynn, her grandma, moved with her to Poland to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Bill, in their modern cave, where he still labors as a painter to help pay for Natalie's expensive training.