NOW, THEY’RE READY TO BEGIN THEIR CHASE FOR THE GOLD.
>> Reporter: THEY ARE TWO OF THE
BIGGEST NAMES IN BMX.
>> COMING ON STRONG.
>> HE’S DONE IT!
WORLD CHAMPION.
WORLD CHAMPION. >> OFF TO A GOOD START.
>> Reporter: ELISE POST AND SAM
WILLOUGHBY ARE OLYMPIC MEDALISTS
AND WORLD CHAMPIONS.
>> POST JUST WILLED THAT WIN.
>> Reporter: SAM WAS HOPING TO
TRAIN WITH POST WHEN HE JOINED
THE U.S. CIRCUIT IN 2008.
IT WAS LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT FOR
HIM.
HIM. >> I THINK I WAS DRAWN TO HER.
I’D SEEN SOME INTERVIEWS, JUST
HER BUBBLINESS AND HER
MINNESOTAN ACCENT.
MINNESOTAN ACCENT. >> ON ALL FRONTS, WE GREW
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. >> Reporter: THE REST, AS THEY
SAY, IS HISTORY.
THE TWO BIKING LOVEBIRDS GOT
ENGAGED IN LATE 2015.
EVERYTHING WAS PERFECT FOR THE
HAPPY COUPLE.
HAPPY COUPLE. >> ELISE POST WINS HER FIRST
EVER MEDAL.
EVER MEDAL. IT IS A SILVER.
>> Reporter: ELISE HAD JUST
CAPTURED A SILVER MEDAL AT THE
2016 RIO OLYMPICS AND WAS
HEADING TO A CHARITY EVENT IN
MINNESOTA WHEN SHE GOT SOME
DEVASTATING NEWS.
DEVASTATING NEWS. >> I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM THE
TRACK OPERATOR.
TRACK OPERATOR. NEXT TO THE WORST NEWS YOU COULD
POSSIBLY GET.
POSSIBLY GET. >> SAM WAS IN A TERRIBLE
TRAINING ACCIDENT THAT LEFT HIM
PARALYZED FROM THE WAIST DOWN.
>> I WAS DOING A ROUTINE WARMUP
AND FLIPPED OFF THE BACK OF MY
BIKE.
BIKE. CAME DOWN UPSIDE DOWN ON TOP OF
MY HEAD AND BROKE MY NECK.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT FELT MY LEGS
WERE WAY OFF IN THE DISTANCE.
I WENT NUMB, BASICALLY, FROM MY
NECK DOWN.
NECK DOWN. >> Reporter: ELISE WAS BY SAM’S
SIDE THROUGHOUT THE DIFFICULT
RECOVERY PROCESS.
RECOVERY PROCESS. >> I NEVER WENT FROM, AM I GOING
TO MARRY HIM, IS HE GOING TO
RACE AGAIN?
RACE AGAIN? IT WAS NEVER A THOUGHT.
IT WAS, HOW ARE WE GETTING HIM
OUT OF THIS HOSPITAL BED.
>> Reporter: THE ENTIRE TIME SAM
WAS IN THE HOSPITAL, HE HAD ONE
GOAL IN MIND.
>> FROM DAY ONE, THE DREAM AND
GOAL WAS TO WALK.
>> ELISE HELPED ME THROUGH.
SHE SAID, I DON’T CARE IF YOU’RE
SITTING IN THAT WHEELCHAIR.
I’M MARRYING YOU.
FOR ME, IT WAS A PROMISE THAT I
MADE, THAT I WANTED TO STAND AT
THE WEDDING.
THE WEDDING. >> Reporter: SAM IS A MAN OF HIS
WORD.
WORD. HE AND ELISE WALKED DOWN THE
AISLE TOGETHER AT THEIR WEDDING.
ELISE AND SAM WERE GLOWING IN
WEDDING BLISS.
WEDDING BLISS. BUT PROFESSIONALLY, ELISE
STRUGGLED TO GET BACK ON THE
BIKE AFTER TAKING MONTHS AFTER
TO CARE FOR HIM.
>> I WAS CRASHING.
I WAS JUST NOT THERE AT ALL.
AT THAT POINT, IT WAS ME
DECIDING, OKAY, IS IT NOT SAFE
FOR ME TO BE PUSHING ELITE
SPORT?
SPORT? I’M NOT WILLING TO DO THIS WHEN
I HAVE SO MUCH GOING ON AT HOME.
>> Reporter: SAM WOULDN’T LET
ELISE GIVE UP.
EVENTUALLY, BECAME HER COACH.
>> IT’S JUST HAVING SOMEONE IN
YOUR CORNER.
YOUR CORNER. THE LAST THING I WANT IS FOR
ELISE TO GO OUT THERE WITHOUT A
SHOULDER TO LEAN ON.
>> I HAVE TO LISTEN TO COACH.
HE’S TELLING ME WHAT TO DO.
SOMETIMES I SAY, HEY, IS THAT A
COACH, OR ARE YOU TELLING ME
THAT AS YOUR WIFE RIGHT NOW?
>> Reporter: TOGETHER, THEY HAVE
THEIR SIGHTS SET ON GOLD.
>> SAM AND I BOTH HAVE A SILVER
MED DISAL IN SEPARATE OLYMPICS F
BMX.
BMX. NOW, TOKYO IS APPROACHING, AND
IT’S THE FIRST TIME WE’RE
TOGETHER AS A TEAM.
HOPEFULLY, TWO SILVERS CAN MAKE
A GOLD.
A GOLD. >> WOW.
>> WOW. >> PROBABLY WILL.
RANKED NUMBER TWO IN THE WORLD,
ELISE.
ELISE. SHE STARTS THE WORLD TO
QUALIFYING FOR THE OLYMPICS WHEN
SHE COMPETES IN THE WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIPS TOMORROW IN
BELGIUM.
BELGIUM. HER HUSBAND, SAM, AND HER COACH,