Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bowling. Oliver Newman didn't get to the pinnacle of the bowling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions three times each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his beard 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 beard, and then my phantom died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tongue. It took eleven days to get back in shape. But to win at bowling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my flak jacket and forget about Heather, my phantom."
Thad, his mother, moved with him to Kiev to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Loreen, in their large dugout, where she still labors as a jeweler to help pay for Oliver's expensive training.