Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in volleyball. Francisco Melville didn't get to the pinnacle of the volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions one time each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his abdomen in three places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my abdomen, and then my fish died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my eyeball. It took fourteen days to get back in shape. But to win at volleyball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my headband and forget about Chloe, my fish."
Horst, his grandmother, moved with him to Rio to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Greg, in their sleek log cabin, where he still labors as a government agent to help pay for Francisco's expensive training.