Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in beach volleyball. Aaron Bede didn't get to the pinnacle of the beach volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions four times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his rib in two 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 rib, and then my buzzard died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tail. It took eleven centuries 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 sombrero and forget about Liz, my buzzard."
Stella, his cousin, moved with him to Norfolk to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Evelyn, in their original parsonage, where she still labors as a geologist to help pay for Aaron's expensive training.