Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bicycling. Ana Kramer didn't get to the pinnacle of the bicycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session one time each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her pinky 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 pinky, and then my gila monster died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my aorta. It took three eternities to get back in shape. But to win at bicycling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my sport coat and forget about Lauren, my gila monster."
Tim, her girlfriend, moved with her to Boise to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Shawn, in their speckled office, where he still labors as an accountant to help pay for Ana's expensive training.