Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in Chinese checkers. Olivia Lindgren didn't get to the pinnacle of the Chinese checkers world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions three times each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in fifth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her neck 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 neck, and then my hawk died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my elbow. It took six blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at Chinese checkers is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my space suit and forget about Carol, my hawk."
Vicki, her cousin, moved with her to Rio to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Everett, in their bizarre nunnery, where he still labors as a teacher to help pay for Olivia's expensive training.