Maria Sharapova -- Riding on Dads Handlebars

Maria Sharapova was born on April 19, 1987 in Nyagan, Soviet Union. Maria moved to the states at the age of seven. Even though she is a famous tennis player and champion on the court, her hobbies are the same as many everyday people. She likes Sherlock Homes, Pippi Long Stockings and has even been known to take hip-hop dance classes.

At the age of four, a friend of the family gave Sharapova her first tennis racket. After receiving the racket, Maria and her father began going to the park to practice. Two years later, she attended lessons where she was noted to be very talented. Even though she was noticed for her talent, they recommended she take professional lessons. This was the reason why Sharapova and her father moved to the United States. Unfortunately, her mother was unable to come to the states until two years later. Once Sharapova and her father were in the states, they struggled to make ends meet. Her father took many odd jobs so that she could attend her tennis lessons. Interestingly, Maria rode to practices on the handlebars of her father's bike until she was twelve years old.

Even though Sharapova and her father struggled with finances, she was improving greatly in tennis and playing in tournaments. In the end, Maria and her family's struggle and drive to succeed played off. Today, she has a long list of awards and championship trophy endorsements. She is very happy in her life and has even been known to say that she hopes her life shows other teens that they can achieve things they never thought they could.