Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in badminton. Paula Fosbury didn't get to the pinnacle of the badminton world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions three times each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her little toe 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 little toe, and then my seal died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my pituitary gland. It took six blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at badminton is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of Crocs and forget about Randy, my seal."
Susanne, her grandma, moved with her to Zimbabwe to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Nathaniel, in their hand-carved wikiup, where he still labors as a sales representative to help pay for Paula's expensive training.