Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bobsledding. Gloria Johnson didn't get to the pinnacle of the bobsledding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions one time each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her femur 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 femur, and then my yak died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my forehead. It took eight minutes to get back in shape. But to win at bobsledding is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my bathrobe and forget about Doris, my yak."
Shawn, her mom, moved with her to Sweden to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Lucia, in their primitive spa, where she still labors as a bureaucrat to help pay for Gloria's expensive training.