Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in canoeing. Clarisa Apple didn't get to the pinnacle of the canoeing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session one time each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in twelfth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her bladder in four 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 bladder, and then my musk-ox died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my heel. It took six fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at canoeing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my blanket and forget about Brittany, my musk-ox."
Ginger, her main squeeze, moved with her to the Virgin Islands to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Elvira, in their ridiculous chateau, where she still labors as a bounty hunter to help pay for Clarisa's expensive training.