Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in soccer. Rachel Radcliffe didn't get to the pinnacle of the soccer world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions one time each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her appendix 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 appendix, and then my walrus died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my brain. It took seven years to get back in shape. But to win at soccer is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my tam o'shanter and forget about Ray, my walrus."
Deirdre, her mom, moved with her to Massachusetts to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Elsa, in their primitive cabin, where she still labors as a nurse to help pay for Rachel's expensive training.