Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in cycling. Sadie Fretwell didn't get to the pinnacle of the cycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions three times each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her artery 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 artery, and then my chameleon died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my scalp. It took three blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at cycling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pith helmet and forget about Penny, my chameleon."
Hallie, her mother, moved with her to Sweden to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Amanda, in their bizarre mud hut, where she still labors as a neurologist to help pay for Sadie's expensive training.