Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in beach volleyball. Audrey Thurman didn't get to the pinnacle of the beach volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions one time each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her heart 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 heart, and then my wallaby died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my foot. It took six weeks to get back in shape. But to win at beach volleyball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my bib and forget about Konstanze, my wallaby."
Maggie, her main squeeze, moved with her to Suriname to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Sean, in their charming Victorian mansion, where he still labors as a warehouse picker to help pay for Audrey's expensive training.