Against all odds. (Short Stuff).

McKayla Hanson, 14, competes in tons of track meets at Armstrong Middle School in Davison, Mich. She even won third place in last spring's high jumping event, beating out three other girls. No big deal, you think? For McKayla, it is. Seven years ago, McKayla lost a leg to cancer after undergoing three amputations. "After the first operation, doctors said I probably wasn't going to make it," says McKayla. "My mom kept saying, 'Believe in yourself because I believe in you."' Now cancer-free for five years, McKayla is proving doctors don't know everything. She gets around by hopping, using a hand-held scooter or with her prosthetic leg. When McKayla joined the track team, she and coach Rich Duffy came up with a way she could compete in the high jump. Most high jumpers gain speed with a long, running start, plant one foot and then dive over the bar back first. This technique doesn't work for McKayla. Instead, she takes four hops and goes over the bar headfirst. She's cleared as high as 4-feet-5-inches in practice . So what's next for McKayla? "I'm going to try out for swimming. I think that would be fun," she says.