Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in beach volleyball. Simeon Thor didn't get to the pinnacle of the beach volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions three times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his chest in four 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 chest, and then my raven died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my toupee. It took eight years to get back in shape. But to win at beach volleyball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of sandals and forget about LaDonna, my raven."
Juan, his sister, moved with him to Peru to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Bones, in their aromatic boxcar, where he still labors as a meat inspector to help pay for Simeon's expensive training.