Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in boxing. Deb Rice didn't get to the pinnacle of the boxing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session three times each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her tooth 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 tooth, and then my Chihuahua died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my back. It took six blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at boxing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my rain coat and forget about Timothy, my Chihuahua."
Ruby, her mother, moved with her to Chad to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Hazel, in their prickly spa, where she still labors as an astrologer to help pay for Deb's expensive training.