Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bowling. Savannah Nurbabayev didn't get to the pinnacle of the bowling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her waist 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 waist, and then my yak died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hairdo. It took four months to get back in shape. But to win at bowling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my locket and forget about Latrina, my yak."
Olive, her grandmother, moved with her to Baltimore to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Andie, in their primitive cottage, where she still labors as a clockmaker to help pay for Savannah's expensive training.