Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in table tennis. Kay McGrath didn't get to the pinnacle of the table tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions two times each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her larynx in two 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 larynx, and then my anaconda died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my bicep. It took seven decades to get back in shape. But to win at table tennis is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my smartwatch and forget about Rip, my anaconda."
Martin, her grandma, moved with her to India to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Vince, in their hand-made bungalow, where he still labors as a machinist to help pay for Kay's expensive training.