Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in cycling. Shannon Orwell didn't get to the pinnacle of the cycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions three times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her tongue 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 tongue, and then my prairie dog died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my eyeball. It took fifteen months to get back in shape. But to win at cycling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of pantaloons and forget about Kenneth, my prairie dog."
Leonie, her mom, moved with her to Long Beach to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Olivia, in their shiny sand castle, where she still labors as a real estate agent to help pay for Shannon's expensive training.