Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in pole vault. Emma Manning didn't get to the pinnacle of the pole vault world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions four times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her nose 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 nose, and then my elk died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my kneecap. It took one lifetimes to get back in shape. But to win at pole vault is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my denim skirt and forget about Edna, my elk."
Kyra, her grandmother, moved with her to Mongolia to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Brittany, in their clean manor house, where she still labors as a postmaster to help pay for Emma's expensive training.