Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in running. Julia Adams didn't get to the pinnacle of the running world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her elbow 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 elbow, and then my koala died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my back. It took ten years to get back in shape. But to win at running is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my skeleton costume and forget about Mel, my koala."
DeWitt, her grandma, moved with her to Florida to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Monica, in their stuffed duplex, where she still labors as a stenographer to help pay for Julia's expensive training.