Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in badminton. Oksana Torres 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 day, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her kidney 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 kidney, and then my robot died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my neck. It took fifteen years 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 cardigan and forget about Malcolm, my robot."
Quincy, her grandfather, moved with her to Namibia to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Matthew, in their dry nunnery, where he still labors as a diplomat to help pay for Oksana's expensive training.