Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in diving. Magdalena Saint Pierre didn't get to the pinnacle of the diving world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions one time each hour, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her stomach in two places. But this didn't stop her. She seems even more determined to excel at her sport.
"I was really down when I broke my stomach, and then my sloth died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my eyelash. It took two centuries to get back in shape. But to win at diving is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my headscarf and forget about Daniel, my sloth."
Keith, her main squeeze, moved with her to Greensboro to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Norm, in their ordinary brownstone, where he still labors as a soccer coach to help pay for Magdalena's expensive training.