Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in long jump. Josephine Finney didn't get to the pinnacle of the long jump world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions three times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her face 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 face, and then my cow died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my big toe. It took two eternities to get back in shape. But to win at long jump is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of khakis and forget about Del, my cow."
Irma, her fiancée, moved with her to Argentina to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Darlene, in their immense box, where she still labors as a painter to help pay for Josephine's expensive training.