Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in bronc riding. Antonia Mars didn't get to the pinnacle of the bronc riding world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions three times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in seventh grade.
Two years ago, she broke her mouth 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 mouth, and then my duck-billed platypus died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my toe. It took four years to get back in shape. But to win at bronc riding is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my pair of Bermuda shorts and forget about Demetrius, my duck-billed platypus."
Mikey, her friend, moved with her to Portland to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Paco, in their filthy apartment, where he still labors as a baseball player to help pay for Antonia's expensive training.