Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in gymnastics. Kate Bowers didn't get to the pinnacle of the gymnastics world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions three times each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her ear 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 ear, and then my eel died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my thumb. It took one decades to get back in shape. But to win at gymnastics is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my diaper and forget about Avery, my eel."
Midge, her dad, moved with her to Boise to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Midge, in their gaudy manor, where she still labors as a sheriff to help pay for Kate's expensive training.