English Gardner: Queen of 2nd Chances Overcomes Hardships for Shot at Gold

How many setbacks can one athlete face before he or she gives up?

How much misfortune does it take to break the human spirit?

Maybe the more important question is, how many individuals could overcome what English Gardner did?

The reigning U.S. 100-meter champion has experienced homelessness, illness, injury, loss of scholarships and bitter disappointment at the 2012 Olympic trials. But she's in Rio and the fastest woman competing for the U.S. at the 2016 Olympic Games.

Think she doesn't have a chance to win gold? Say that to her face. She'll just use it as motivation to prove you wrong like everything else.

Learn more about Gardner's incredible story in this video.

Special Thanks to: The Gardner Family, Eastern Regional High School (especially Nicholas Catania, Phil Smart and Athletic Director Jason Hill), Willingboro Track Club (especially Jeff Scott Sr. and Walter Brown), NJ Advance Media, RunnerSpace.com, Gannett Prints and USATF.