Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in long jump. Tammy Griffin didn't get to the pinnacle of the long jump world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions four times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her forehead 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 forehead, and then my mosquito died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my heart. It took two blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at long jump is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my uniform and forget about Rico, my mosquito."
Martina, her aunt, moved with her to Oslo to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Mim, in their sophisticated wigwam, where she still labors as a real estate investor to help pay for Tammy's expensive training.