Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bicycling. Laci Burner didn't get to the pinnacle of the bicycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions three times each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her adrenal gland 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 adrenal gland, and then my Siamese cat died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my leg. It took ten blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at bicycling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my bib and forget about Smiley, my Siamese cat."
Nan, her grandma, moved with her to Reno to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Horst, in their original skyscraper, where he still labors as a pilot to help pay for Laci's expensive training.