A Shot At Glory

For Daniel Cormier, from Lafayette, La., freestyle wrestling provides a vehicle for stability in a life filled with tragedy.

Originally from California, "dR" is a BMX national champion, and with the trip to Beijing right around the corner, he's not planning on slowing down.

Three years ago at the University of Arkansas, 23-year-old Wallace Spearmon Jr. was the yin to Tyson Gay's yang, the gregarious personality to Gay's quiet demeanor. Now these two are rivals seeking the same international glory.

Gary is the youngest member of USA Boxing's Elite Team and the number one amateur international bantamweight champion of the world. He won both the U.S. Championships and National Golden Gloves at just sixteen.

Breaking Janet Evans? swimming record last year just shy of her nineteenth birthday secured Kate Ziegler's legacy in history and set the stage for her international dominance of distance swimming.

Laura trains on hills, runs the trails of Boulder, Colo., and body bashes in Noosa, Australia. Watch as she competes in the 2008 World Championships, and prepares for the most important race of her life.

Two years ago, Brett Heyl sought to improve his stock within the American kayaking scene - so he packed up everything he owned and moved to Charlotte, N.C., the new home of the U.S. Whitewater Center.

At 16, Samantha Peszek has the passion of untarnished dreams, but the lack of history to fully comprehend the pressure that comes with those dreams.

Tyson Gay is one of the fastest men in America. Seven years ago, he was a lightly-recruited high school sprinter. Since then, he's upgraded his name from unknown to world champion.

Youngs and Branagh joined forces just last year, but they've already proven to be formidable foes for the living legends in this sport: Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor.