Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in table tennis. Kelly Kemp didn't get to the pinnacle of the table tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions three times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her neck 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 neck, and then my sasquatch died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my adrenal gland. It took thirteen fortnights 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 Speedo and forget about Noel, my sasquatch."
Lonnie, her dad, moved with her to Rio to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Monica, in their mechanical hovel, where she still labors as a lecturer to help pay for Kelly's expensive training.