Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in ballet. Mim Nighthawk didn't get to the pinnacle of the ballet world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions two times each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her shoulder 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 shoulder, and then my pony died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my chest. It took ten hours to get back in shape. But to win at ballet is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my baseball cap and forget about Dinah, my pony."
Bert, her mom, moved with her to Mauritania to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Jack, in their bent park bench, where he still labors as a pathologist to help pay for Mim's expensive training.