Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in long jump. Carey Silva didn't get to the pinnacle of the long jump world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions four times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her intestine 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 intestine, and then my mosquito died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my scalp. It took three minutes to get back in shape. But to win at long jump is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my smartwatch and forget about Clyde, my mosquito."
Archie, her grandpa, moved with her to the Marshall Islands to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Freddie, in their stiff KOA Kampground, where he still labors as a historian to help pay for Carey's expensive training.