Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bullfighting. Olga McCarthy didn't get to the pinnacle of the bullfighting world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions one time each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her tummy 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 tummy, and then my parakeet died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tummy. It took fifteen centuries to get back in shape. But to win at bullfighting is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my heavy layer of makeup and forget about Eloise, my parakeet."
Jan, her aunt, moved with her to Istanbul to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Margaret, in their smooth trough, where she still labors as an attorney to help pay for Olga's expensive training.