Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in horse racing. Gail Burtle didn't get to the pinnacle of the horse racing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her palm 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 palm, and then my cockroach died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my forehead. It took twelve years to get back in shape. But to win at horse racing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my beach towel and forget about Jolene, my cockroach."
Helmut, her main squeeze, moved with her to Tallahassee to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Perry, in their white house, where he still labors as a football player to help pay for Gail's expensive training.