Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in pole vault. Mary Lyman didn't get to the pinnacle of the pole vault world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions four times each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her nostril 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 nostril, and then my chipmunk died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my lung. It took fifteen centuries 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 pair of glasses and forget about Broderick, my chipmunk."
Krista, her mentor, moved with her to Miami to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Kristi, in their excellent mobile home, where she still labors as a machinist to help pay for Mary's expensive training.