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20 CAVALIER CORNER so much of my schedule. I was waking up in the morning, going to school, having lunch, going to the gym next to my house where he was training me for 90 minutes, going back to school, and then practicing with my team. "So I was eating, gym, basketball, and then going home. And I loved it. That's when I fell in love with basketball." Toi made up for lost time, and within a year, she was already drawing national at- tention for her abilities on the court. She soon packed her bags to attend a small boarding school to focus more attention on her training. It was just a small step before she took another huge jump. She was in a pool of candidates being considered for a spot at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance (INSEP), an elite training academy where the top athletic prospects in France hone their skills while still receiv- ing a top-level education. She started playing in all-encompassing tournaments where all girls within the age group compete. Toi was selected as one of nine to represent her region at a national camp. From there, a pool of 45 was whittled down to 20, with 15 earning a place at the prestigious academy. Even after gaining admission, the pool of 15 was cut back to 10 who actually made it. Once there, that list was again cut to six, a group that included Toi. She spent three years studying and train- ing at INSEP. During that time, she also rep- resented France as a member of the U-16, U-18 and U-19 Junior National squads, helping lead her team to an impressive fifth- place finish at the 2017 U19 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Italy. Though she was eating, sleeping and living basketball, she still managed to add something else to her full plate: dream about playing in America. "My trainer always told me that my game Toi first took up basketball as a 13-year-old growing up in Paris. Even at that age, she was a latecomer to the sport but quickly developed into one of France's top young players. (Photo by Matt Riley/courtesy UVA)