All Olympians struggle on their journey to greatness, but Kayla Harrison's road was harder and more cruel than most.
Harrison was forced to endure unspeakable sexual abuse by a childhood coach, which took her to a very dark place and caused her to hate everything about her sport.
Somehow, she was able to turn it all around, despite the memory of that nightmare.
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"I would be lying if I said I didn't think about him," says Harrison.
But on Thursday, Harrison completed her journey from down and out to Olympic Gold Medalist. She beat Britain's Gemma Gibbons 2-0 for the gold medal in the women's under 78-kilogram division. In doing so, she became the first US gold medalist in Judo.
"If you don't lay down, nobody can walk on you."
That refuse-to-give-up attitude is what earned her Gold, and turned her life around.