Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bicycling. Hallie Lombardi didn't get to the pinnacle of the bicycling world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions one time each month, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her neck 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 neck, and then my salamander died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my forehead. It took twelve eternities to get back in shape. But to win at bicycling is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of trousers and forget about Lottie, my salamander."
Spud, her cousin, moved with her to Vietnam to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Cinderella, in their ragged flat, where she still labors as a math teacher to help pay for Hallie's expensive training.