Chapter 71

“You’ll make a big splash when we finally show you off to everyone. A big splash…get it?” Coach Keller had used that joke a million times. Now, it was actually about to happen. I was both petrified and excited.

I had sponsors now too, businesses and philanthropists, who, according to him, had “tons of throwaway cash they love to throw at up-and-coming athletes.” Accepting the checks left me feeling uneasy. “Then let me deal with it,” he’d said. “This is how it works.”