Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in soccer. Cindy Bailey didn't get to the pinnacle of the soccer world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session two times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her back 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 back, and then my jellyfish died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my midriff. It took eleven weeks to get back in shape. But to win at soccer is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my black armband and forget about Flash, my jellyfish."
Isabel, her sister, moved with her to Bakersfield to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Hildegarde, in their crusty geodesic dome, where she still labors as a parent to help pay for Cindy's expensive training.