Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in basketball. Phyllis Rice didn't get to the pinnacle of the basketball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions one time each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her chest 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 chest, and then my ant died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my pituitary gland. It took fourteen hours to get back in shape. But to win at basketball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my blanket and forget about Mikey, my ant."
Elmer, her sister-in-law, moved with her to Ivory Coast to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Coleen, in their electronic convent, where she still labors as a convenience store clerk to help pay for Phyllis's expensive training.