Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in softball. Nan Vargas didn't get to the pinnacle of the softball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions one time each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her eyeball in three 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 eyeball, and then my tropical fish died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my arm. It took eleven weeks to get back in shape. But to win at softball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my blouse and forget about Shamus, my tropical fish."
Candy, her mommy, moved with her to Buenos Aires to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Pinky, in their luxurious sod house, where he still labors as a travel agent to help pay for Nan's expensive training.