Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in figure skating. Jody Barbee didn't get to the pinnacle of the figure skating world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions two times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in fourth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her fingernail 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 fingernail, and then my gerbil died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my beard. It took seven hours to get back in shape. But to win at figure skating is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my bicycle helmet and forget about Lorie, my gerbil."
Drover, her wife, moved with her to Angola to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Bum, in their slimy loft, where he still labors as a mattress tester to help pay for Jody's expensive training.