Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in volleyball. Tori Sugarbaker didn't get to the pinnacle of the volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions three times each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her thumb in three 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 thumb, and then my opossum died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my Achilles tendon. It took one months to get back in shape. But to win at volleyball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my mask and forget about Harley, my opossum."
Margaret, her sister, moved with her to Ohio to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Damon, in their polka-dotted KOA Kampground, where he still labors as a chef to help pay for Tori's expensive training.