Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in pole vault. Krystal Winger didn't get to the pinnacle of the pole vault world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for one grueling session one time each week, followed by the usual homework for someone in eighth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her claw in two 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 claw, and then my aardvark died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my wrist. It took eleven blinks of an eye 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 combat boots and forget about Holly, my aardvark."
Leah, her wife, moved with her to Honolulu to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Samina, in their fuzzy church, where she still labors as an exterminator to help pay for Krystal's expensive training.