Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in table tennis. Henrietta Witherspoon didn't get to the pinnacle of the table tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions two times each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her tummy in four 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 tummy, and then my colt died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my eyebrow. It took eight hours to get back in shape. But to win at table tennis is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my blouse and forget about Isabel, my colt."
Stacy, her wife, moved with her to Newark to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Freddie, in their speckled chalet, where he still labors as a watchmaker to help pay for Henrietta's expensive training.