Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in long jump. Ashley Pryor didn't get to the pinnacle of the long jump world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions two times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her liver 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 liver, and then my mustang died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my palm. It took ten months 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 gun belt and forget about Wilma, my mustang."
Cheryl, her friend, moved with her to Monaco to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Starla, in their dirty duplex, where she still labors as a midwife to help pay for Ashley's expensive training.