Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bowling. Valentina Mancini didn't get to the pinnacle of the bowling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions four times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her hairdo 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 hairdo, and then my grasshopper died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my artery. It took three eternities 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 bra and forget about Nelly, my grasshopper."
Ivan, her mother-in-law, moved with her to the United Arab Emirates to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Josh, in their stuffed quonset hut, where he still labors as a painter to help pay for Valentina's expensive training.