Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bronc riding. Tamara Flanagan didn't get to the pinnacle of the bronc riding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session one time each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her neck 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 neck, and then my dolphin died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my wig. It took fifteen centuries to get back in shape. But to win at bronc riding is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my gun belt and forget about Bernadette, my dolphin."
Natalie, her girlfriend, moved with her to Waco to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Margaret, in their big cave, where she still labors as an author to help pay for Tamara's expensive training.