Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in badminton. Antonia Barber didn't get to the pinnacle of the badminton world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions two times each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her vein 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 vein, and then my salamander died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my pancreas. It took six lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at badminton is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my bedsheet and forget about Pablo, my salamander."
Kyle, her cousin, moved with her to Akron to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Nelda, in their gruesome flat, where she still labors as a crane operator to help pay for Antonia's expensive training.