Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tennis. Jim Bob Smirnov didn't get to the pinnacle of the tennis world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions three times each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his liver in four 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 liver, and then my crab died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my wrist. It took fifteen fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at tennis is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my feather boa and forget about Tammy, my crab."
Candy, his grandpa, moved with him to Grand Rapids to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Regina, in their curved penthouse, where she still labors as a food critic to help pay for Jim Bob's expensive training.