Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in tug-of-war. Audra McGraw didn't get to the pinnacle of the tug-of-war world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions one time each fortnight, followed by the usual homework for someone in third grade.
Two years ago, she broke her hangnail 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 hangnail, and then my sheep died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my tongue. It took six minutes to get back in shape. But to win at tug-of-war is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my Superman costume and forget about Jimmy, my sheep."
Wanda, her aunt, moved with her to Corpus Christi to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Harold, in their archaic teepee, where he still labors as a professor to help pay for Audra's expensive training.