Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in pole vault. Claudia Hart didn't get to the pinnacle of the pole vault world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for five grueling sessions one time each decade, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her knee in two 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 knee, and then my prairie dog died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my earlobe. It took one weeks to get back in shape. But to win at pole vault is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my false beard and forget about Merna, my prairie dog."
Noah, her cousin, moved with her to Argentina to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Starla, in their decrepit penthouse, where she still labors as a barber to help pay for Claudia's expensive training.