Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in skiing. Oksana Portwine didn't get to the pinnacle of the skiing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions two times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her shoulder 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 shoulder, and then my gila monster died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my lip. It took nine hours to get back in shape. But to win at skiing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of knickerbockers and forget about Adam, my gila monster."
Marcie, her grandma, moved with her to Norway to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Joshua, in their gaudy manor, where he still labors as a football coach to help pay for Oksana's expensive training.