Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in horse racing. Paige Martin didn't get to the pinnacle of the horse racing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions two times each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her artery 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 artery, and then my kitten died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my skin. It took twelve months to get back in shape. But to win at horse racing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of combat boots and forget about Azalea, my kitten."
Dusty, her friend, moved with her to Alabama to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Billy, in their chocolate brown barracks, where he still labors as a dance instructor to help pay for Paige's expensive training.