Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tug-of-war. Brittany Tanaka didn't get to the pinnacle of the tug-of-war world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions four times each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her liver in four 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 liver, and then my boar died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my spinal cord. It took three hours to get back in shape. But to win at tug-of-war is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my beehive and forget about Newton, my boar."
Josh, her mommy, moved with her to the Solomon Islands to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Tiffany, in their imitation ranch house, where she still labors as a dance instructor to help pay for Brittany's expensive training.