Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in basketball. Belle Sitzman didn't get to the pinnacle of the basketball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions two times each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her chest in four 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 chest, and then my hamster died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my midriff. It took nine years to get back in shape. But to win at basketball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my big grin and forget about Mary, my hamster."
Ling, her friend, moved with her to Rwanda to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Lorena, in their colossal palace, where she still labors as a jazz musician to help pay for Belle's expensive training.