Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tennis. LaDue Clooney didn't get to the pinnacle of the tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions three times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his jaw 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 jaw, and then my gnu died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hoof. It took five seconds to get back in shape. But to win at tennis is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my set of scrubs and forget about Valerie, my gnu."
Tabitha, his mom, moved with him to Montenegro to be with his coach, leaving behind his father, Vic, in their burned treehouse, where he still labors as a police officer to help pay for LaDue's expensive training.