Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in fencing. Jan Walters didn't get to the pinnacle of the fencing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions three times each century, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her lip 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 lip, and then my cat died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my femur. It took one weeks 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 pajamas and forget about Elly, my cat."
Pamela, her main squeeze, moved with her to West Virginia to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Gail, in their ridged sand castle, where she still labors as a professional dancer to help pay for Jan's expensive training.