Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in cycling. Mandy Payne didn't get to the pinnacle of the cycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session four times each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her beard 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 beard, and then my ferret died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my bladder. It took one centuries to get back in shape. But to win at cycling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my bustier and forget about Dolores, my ferret."
Isaac, her aunt, moved with her to Bangkok to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Kirsten, in their nifty palace, where she still labors as a diver to help pay for Mandy's expensive training.