Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in ballet. Dianna Pickett didn't get to the pinnacle of the ballet world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions one time each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her earlobe 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 earlobe, and then my beagle died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my skin. It took fifteen years to get back in shape. But to win at ballet is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my beach towel and forget about Pleasance, my beagle."
Mao, her cousin, moved with her to Cuba to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Blake, in their well worn parsonage, where he still labors as a designer to help pay for Dianna's expensive training.