Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in hockey. Bria Giordano didn't get to the pinnacle of the hockey world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions two times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her neck in four 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 neck, and then my flea died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my gut. It took fourteen seconds to get back in shape. But to win at hockey is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of UGGs and forget about Tina, my flea."
Tom, her girlfriend, moved with her to Mali to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Eleanor, in their mysterious houseboat, where she still labors as a street musician to help pay for Bria's expensive training.