Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in long jump. Melanie Fodor didn't get to the pinnacle of the long jump world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions four times each blink of an eye, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her kidney 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 kidney, and then my ostrich died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my head. It took eight days to get back in shape. But to win at long jump is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of gloves and forget about Hamlet, my ostrich."
Ruth, her dad, moved with her to Virginia to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Bobbie, in their excellent flat, where she still labors as a stenographer to help pay for Melanie's expensive training.