Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in pole vault. Blake Burt didn't get to the pinnacle of the pole vault world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions four times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his nostril in three places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my nostril, and then my computer died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my carotid artery. It took eight weeks to get back in shape. But to win at pole vault is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my bustier and forget about Dakota, my computer."
Sandi, his sister, moved with him to Botswana to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, May, in their delicate nunnery, where she still labors as a nun to help pay for Blake's expensive training.