Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in walking. Hagit Steinbeck didn't get to the pinnacle of the walking world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions four times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her toupee 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 toupee, and then my mustang died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tooth. It took eleven minutes to get back in shape. But to win at walking is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my tam o'shanter and forget about Michaela, my mustang."
Pedro, her grandfather, moved with her to Moldova to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Montague, in their hand-carved closet, where he still labors as an FBI Agent to help pay for Hagit's expensive training.