Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in pole vault. Heather Zwiebel didn't get to the pinnacle of the pole vault world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions two times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her spleen 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 spleen, and then my jellyfish died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hangnail. It took ten blinks of an eye 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 Eton jacket and forget about Jolene, my jellyfish."
Janice, her mom, moved with her to Paraguay to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Dean, in their multicolored boxcar, where he still labors as a fashion designer to help pay for Heather's expensive training.