Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in table tennis. Saul Agnew didn't get to the pinnacle of the table tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions two times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his eyelash 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 eyelash, and then my bull died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my back. It took thirteen minutes to get back in shape. But to win at table tennis is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my cape and forget about James, my bull."
Melkadas, his sister, moved with him to Somalia to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Jared, in their porcelain cave, where he still labors as a shoe repairer to help pay for Saul's expensive training.