Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bobsledding. Agnes Marx didn't get to the pinnacle of the bobsledding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session three times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her pituitary gland 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 pituitary gland, and then my ladybug died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my eyebrow. It took nine fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at bobsledding is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my jerkin and forget about Fiona, my ladybug."
Vivian, her mentor, moved with her to Abilene to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Rosa, in their disgusting cabin, where she still labors as a bureaucrat to help pay for Agnes's expensive training.