Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in gymnastics. Nicki Walla didn't get to the pinnacle of the gymnastics world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session one time each eternity, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her calf in four 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 calf, and then my swan died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my neck. It took six hours 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 maxi skirt and forget about Lex, my swan."
Clarisse, her mommy, moved with her to Mali to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Mackenzie, in their gooey housing project, where she still labors as a ballroom dancer to help pay for Nicki's expensive training.