Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in softball. Juan Berkowitz didn't get to the pinnacle of the softball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions two times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his throat 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 throat, and then my macaque died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my toe. It took fourteen blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at softball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my camisole and forget about Lucille, my macaque."
Bianca, his grandmother, moved with him to Miami to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Merna, in their funny hovel, where she still labors as a handyman to help pay for Juan's expensive training.