Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in volleyball. Matt Harper didn't get to the pinnacle of the volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions four times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his chin in three places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my chin, and then my sloth died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my toupee. It took ten centuries 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 set of camo fatigues and forget about Dillon, my sloth."
Susie, his sister-in-law, moved with him to the United Kingdom to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Erin, in their frilly apartment, where she still labors as a dog groomer to help pay for Matt's expensive training.