Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bicycling. Bubbles Prater didn't get to the pinnacle of the bicycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions one time each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her brain 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 brain, and then my crocodile died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my spine. It took two months to get back in shape. But to win at bicycling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my military uniform and forget about Hannah, my crocodile."
Baldwin, her mom, moved with her to Vietnam to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Upton, in their grubby tent, where he still labors as an entertainer to help pay for Bubbles's expensive training.