Williamsburg (Virginia)

Hayley Peirsol

It's the holiday season, and a lot of people have come home. In fact, a crowd is huddled outside a locked gymnasium in Williamsburg, Va., breath misting in the frigid air as the people stamp their feet in the snow...

They came along different paths, one a Little Leaguer with big-league ambitions, the other a body-builder with eyes only for his biceps. They got the message, though, and lifted straight to national championships