Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tug-of-war. Margaret Van Bloom didn't get to the pinnacle of the tug-of-war world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions two times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her lip 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 lip, and then my horsie died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my toe. It took four lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at tug-of-war is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of tights and forget about William, my horsie."
Lex, her main squeeze, moved with her to Lebanon to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Hallie, in their rare housing project, where she still labors as a newscaster to help pay for Margaret's expensive training.