Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in canoeing. Clara Gomez didn't get to the pinnacle of the canoeing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session one time each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her thigh 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 thigh, and then my banana slug died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my pituitary gland. It took five years to get back in shape. But to win at canoeing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my kimono and forget about Armand, my banana slug."
Starla, her sister-in-law, moved with her to Des Moines to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Jane, in their authentic monastery, where she still labors as a nanny to help pay for Clara's expensive training.