Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in fencing. Deirdre Weston didn't get to the pinnacle of the fencing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in fifth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her ear 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 ear, and then my musk-ox died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my larynx. It took eleven days to get back in shape. But to win at fencing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of cycling shorts and forget about Lars, my musk-ox."
Rock, her mom, moved with her to Liverpool to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Alicia, in their musty house, where she still labors as a grocer to help pay for Deirdre's expensive training.