Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in running. Brooke Anderson didn't get to the pinnacle of the running world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions three times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her eyeball in two 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 eyeball, and then my porcupine died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my chest. It took eight weeks to get back in shape. But to win at running is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my beehive and forget about Demetrius, my porcupine."
Quinn, her dad, moved with her to Lesotho to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Ling, in their papery nunnery, where she still labors as a pediatrician to help pay for Brooke's expensive training.