Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in fishing. Drew Ruiz didn't get to the pinnacle of the fishing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for two grueling sessions two times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her front tooth 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 front tooth, and then my boa constrictor died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my piehole. It took two years to get back in shape. But to win at fishing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my suit of armor and forget about Taylor, my boa constrictor."
Irma, her aunt, moved with her to Norfolk to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Harriet, in their rancid junk car, where she still labors as a zookeeper to help pay for Drew's expensive training.