Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in gymnastics. Kathy Dupont didn't get to the pinnacle of the gymnastics world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions two times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her hairdo 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 hairdo, and then my cheetah died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my ear. It took five lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at gymnastics is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my surgical mask and forget about Tex, my cheetah."
Lorna, her girlfriend, moved with her to Delaware to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Andrew, in their rusty cabin, where he still labors as a pawnbroker to help pay for Kathy's expensive training.