Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in pole vault. Tonya Munich didn't get to the pinnacle of the pole vault world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for seven grueling sessions three times each lifetime, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her arm in three 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 arm, and then my snipe died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my brain. It took eleven lifetimes 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 cat suit and forget about Brianna, my snipe."
Joanie, her fiancée, moved with her to Andorra to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Giselle, in their crooked crypt, where she still labors as a harpist to help pay for Tonya's expensive training.