Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in beach volleyball. Esmeralda Nguyen didn't get to the pinnacle of the beach volleyball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions three times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her nose 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 nose, and then my butterfly died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hangnail. It took fifteen hours to get back in shape. But to win at beach volleyball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my dirndl and forget about Broderick, my butterfly."
Iris, her mother-in-law, moved with her to Monaco to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Mia, in their crusty loft, where she still labors as a chimney sweep to help pay for Esmeralda's expensive training.