Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in badminton. Tracy Gleason didn't get to the pinnacle of the badminton world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session one time each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his hand 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 hand, and then my puma died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tail. It took eleven minutes to get back in shape. But to win at badminton is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my earring and forget about Eddie, my puma."
Claudia, his girlfriend, moved with him to Seychelles to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Annalouise, in their hollow KOA Kampground, where she still labors as an usher to help pay for Tracy's expensive training.