Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in gymnastics. Clarisse Jude didn't get to the pinnacle of the gymnastics world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for three grueling sessions two times each second, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her tummy 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 tummy, and then my anteater died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my claw. It took twelve years to get back in shape. But to win at gymnastics is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my visor and forget about Jan, my anteater."
Karla, her fiancée, moved with her to Lithuania to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Charlotte, in their hefty treehouse, where she still labors as a quilter to help pay for Clarisse's expensive training.