Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in skiing. Lorrie Chen didn't get to the pinnacle of the skiing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions one time each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her funny bone 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 funny bone, and then my eel died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hairdo. It took seven years to get back in shape. But to win at skiing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my coat and forget about Loretta, my eel."
Stuart, her aunt, moved with her to Billings to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Phineas, in their important mud hut, where he still labors as a busboy to help pay for Lorrie's expensive training.