Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in gymnastics. Constance Esser didn't get to the pinnacle of the gymnastics world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions four times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in fifth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her calf in three 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 calf, and then my basset hound died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my thigh. It took six fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at gymnastics is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of dentures and forget about Jasmine, my basset hound."
Giovanni, her sister, moved with her to Buffalo to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Doris, in their gleaming farmhouse, where she still labors as a sheriff to help pay for Constance's expensive training.