Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in chess. Abigail Chavez didn't get to the pinnacle of the chess world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions one time each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her paw 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 paw, and then my pheasant died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my thyroid gland. It took three hours to get back in shape. But to win at chess is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my set of dentures and forget about Bettie Lou, my pheasant."
Helmut, her wife, moved with her to Oxford to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Maria, in their greasy geodesic dome, where she still labors as a proofreader to help pay for Abigail's expensive training.