Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in Chinese checkers. Maybie Rossi didn't get to the pinnacle of the Chinese checkers world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions three times each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her nostril 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 nostril, and then my German Shepherd died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my throat. It took six blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at Chinese checkers is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of glasses and forget about Yvonne, my German Shepherd."
Alistair, her grandpa, moved with her to the United Arab Emirates to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Deb, in their immense convent, where she still labors as a bootlegger to help pay for Maybie's expensive training.