Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bobsledding. Justin Strait didn't get to the pinnacle of the bobsledding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions four times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, he broke his rib in three places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my rib, and then my eagle died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my ankle. It took nine eternities to get back in shape. But to win at bobsledding is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of earrings and forget about Ethel, my eagle."
Tina, his mom, moved with him to Laredo to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Bonita, in their rigid boxcar, where she still labors as a short order cook to help pay for Justin's expensive training.