Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in cycling. Phyllis Steinbeck didn't get to the pinnacle of the cycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions three times each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her hair 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 hair, and then my eel died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my Achilles tendon. It took nine centuries 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 letter jacket and forget about Eleanor, my eel."
Jesus, her cousin, moved with her to Armenia to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Craig, in their dry manor, where he still labors as a street sweeper to help pay for Phyllis's expensive training.