In 1997, Muna Lee won three state track titles as a skinny freshman at Central High School. Eleven years later, Lee, still skinny at 109 pounds, ran a personal best and finished first in the 100 meters at the Olympic trials. The road to becoming a medal contender at the Beijing Olympics wasn't easy. Lee changed coaches and relocated from Los Angeles to College Station, Texas, a year before the games. A week before the trials, she escaped a car accident with no serious injuries. The track gods were unkind to Lee once she arrived in Beijing. In the 100 meters, she had the misfortune of occupying a lane next to a U.S. teammate who seemed to commit a false start, slowing Lee's reaction time. In the 200 meters, Lee missed out on a bronze medal by one one-hundredth of a second. But finishing fourth, Lee set a personal best. She could come home knowing that she had lived up to the Olympic credo: "The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."