Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tug-of-war. Candy Goldfarb didn't get to the pinnacle of the tug-of-war world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session one time each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her esophagus 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 esophagus, and then my dingo died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my pancreas. It took five years to get back in shape. But to win at tug-of-war is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of glasses and forget about Doug, my dingo."
Alf, her grandpa, moved with her to Bolivia to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Bones, in their cardboard Victorian mansion, where he still labors as a real estate investor to help pay for Candy's expensive training.