Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in chess. Jennifer Satterlee didn't get to the pinnacle of the chess world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session three times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her waist in two 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 waist, and then my horse died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my adrenal gland. It took fourteen days 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 jumpsuit and forget about Marcus, my horse."
Donnie Bob, her sister-in-law, moved with her to Bellevue to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Carrie, in their hand-carved stinky shack, where she still labors as a DoorDash driver to help pay for Jennifer's expensive training.