Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in pole vault. Rosa Rudd didn't get to the pinnacle of the pole vault world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions one time each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her calf in four 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 calf, and then my chameleon died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my larynx. It took thirteen months to get back in shape. But to win at pole vault is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my lab coat and forget about Quinn, my chameleon."
Monica, her dad, moved with her to Prague to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Joseph, in their art deco Spanish colonial, where he still labors as a phlebotomist to help pay for Rosa's expensive training.