Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bronc riding. Lillie Morrissey didn't get to the pinnacle of the bronc riding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions two times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her gut in three 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 gut, and then my orangutan died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my earlobe. It took seven fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at bronc riding is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of ear muffs and forget about Louie, my orangutan."
Annalouise, her friend, moved with her to Egypt to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Rosie, in their hand-carved cave, where she still labors as a writer to help pay for Lillie's expensive training.