Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in dancing. Deirdre Roe didn't get to the pinnacle of the dancing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions three times each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her nostril 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 nostril, and then my deer died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my shin. It took thirteen lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at dancing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my headscarf and forget about Lex, my deer."
Elmer, her aunt, moved with her to Seychelles to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Kirsten, in their torn monastery, where she still labors as a gambler to help pay for Deirdre's expensive training.