oject at findwwp.org. welcome home the brave. ♪ this is "nightline." beyond the bucket. you did it. they did it. superman and oprah did it. now, meet the man behind the ice bucket challenge. a star college athlete faced with a devastating diagnosis. inspiring a viral sensation that has raised over $200 million and hope for those battling als. plus, young recruits. this fleet-footed 11-year-old already receiving offers from major universities. with intense daily workouts designed to take him from preteen to the pros, but is it too much too soon? and, mind bending.

you might have seen her walking upside down or eating a hamburger with her feet, with her brother behind the camera. has viral sensation sofie dossi turned her torso twisting into a family business. and later, cliff diving. a 90-foot drop at more than 50 miles per hour. we're on the jagged edge of the irish coast for the red bull cliff diving world series. >> it's like hitting concrete. it's hard. >> one wrong move could be their last. this is a special presentation of "nightline." pushing the limits. here now, dan harris. thank you for joining us. it was the viral sensation that sent a chill down our spines and raised millions for als. we begin with the story behind the remarkable young man who inspired the ice bucket challenge. you may have wondered whatever happened to all that money and awareness that was raised.

was it all just a silly craze, or as pete frates' many friends will tell you, was it a game changer. my "nightline" co-anchor juju chang has the story. >> reporter: it began with a simple idea. fill a bucket with water, throw in some ice, and -- >> ah! >> reporter: in the summer of 2014, the ice bucket challenge flooded the internet. from saintly irish nuns -- >> i accept the challenge. ah! >> reporter: to all manner of celebrities. >> oh my goodness! >> reporter: more than 17 million people dumping ice water on their heads helping bring massive attention to an otherwise obscure disease, als. >> everybody on the street knew the term als. >> als. >> als. >> it suddenly had a real face to it. >> reporter: with it raising more than $220 million for

charity. >> we've mobilized funds that wouldn't have happened without the ice bucket challenge. >> reporter: but it wasn't kermit or oprah or even a future president who unleashed this phenomenon. it was a young athlete from suburban massachusetts, peter frates. >> frates is swinging the bat today with an awful lot of confidence. >> reporter: the man behind the ice bucket. >> for a young guy like myself to be diagnosed, hopefully i can use my youth and the networks that i'm part of to promote awareness. >> reporter: and the courage he showed back then is nothing compared to the courage he is showing now, as i found out when we first met pete this past fall. pete grew up like any other kid, growing up outside boston, hitting pop flies with dad. >> i have a kid that i knew was chosen to do something great. i've known it since he was a boy. ♪ how old are you, peter

>> reporter: in high school he was a three-sport star, team captain of the football and hockey teams, but it was baseball that would become his life's passion. >> going back is frates. >> reporter: he went on to play center field for division one boston college. >> frates is the leading base stealer on this team. >> reporter: always wearing his lucky number 3, but despite his athletic prowess, it was his personality that was larger than life. >> pete's certainly someone that puts out this, like, infectious energy. >> he was friends with everybody. >> reporter: beloved by his hundreds of self-proclaimed best friends. >> when i first started dating him, he would be like, i want you to meet my best friend so-and-so. finally i was like, how many best friends do you have because i've met 14 best friends so far. >> reporter: his many besties will tell you the strapping hometown hero was a hit on and off the baseball diamond. >> the addendum that my wife makes to every story is he was the best looking guy that ever

walked on the boston college campus. when i remind her that i too went to boston college, it makes for a couple of awkward moments. >> reporter: his final year at bc, pete was named captain of the baseball team. during a grudge match against rival harvard, he hit a monster home run in fenway park. >> who hits a home run at fenway park, you know? it's kind of like every kid's dream. >> reporter: after a short stint playing pro ball overseas, pete came back to boston to start a 9 to 5 job, selling insurance, when he met the love of his life. >> what made you fall in love with pete? >> well, he's very handsome. that didn't hurt. but, um, from the beginning pete was constantly taking care of me and, you know, catering to my needs. as a girl it's very flattering and that's just the kind of guy he is. >> reporter: pete and julie had just fallen in love. dreams of marriage and children in their future. but just 8 months after they started dating, pete started feeling odd, having trouble with simple tasks like buttoning his shirt.

after a series of tests, doctors asked him to come in, and bring his parents. >> the doctor walked in and he went like this with his hand and he said this is not the common cold. this is not lyme disease. it's not parkinson's. it's not m.s. i hate to tell you, pete, mr. and mrs. frates, you have als. >> reporter: it was a death sentence. als, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as lou gehrig's disease, the rare neurological condition affecting roughly 30,000 mostly older americans, robbing patients of their movements, their voice, and eventually their ability to breathe. all while the mind stays alert. >> nancy ran screaming out of that office. she knew exactly the magnitude of this thing, devastated. i didn't know if i should run after her or stay with pete. >> all of a sudden i was, you

know, faced with the person i wanted to spend my whole life with being, you know, given a timeline. >> reporter: als currently has no known cause or cure. most patients live only three to five years on average but almost immediately, rather than wallowing, the brawny baseball star started looking at the diagnosis as a dare. >> pete says to the doctor, how much money do you need to cure this thing? she puts her hand on his knee and says, pete -- >> i just said a billion. i don't have any knowledge that a billion is enough but i think a billion would make a big impact. >> reporter: a billion dollar challenge to cure his disease. an astronomical figure for sure, but that didn't deter pete frates. >> he said to her, i will get you a billion dollars and we'll reach bill gates. >> we're looking at each other going -- >> i fell on the ground laughing. it's absurd. we're just a middle class family. what are you talking about? >> reporter: pete became a man with a mission. >> he said to you, you're young, you have your whole life in

front of you, i'll understand if you leave. >> yeah. it was a very short conversation because i'm pretty sure i told him to basically shut up. i was like, we're not having this conversation, and he dropped it. >> reporter: rather than tearing them apart, pete and julie promised to spend the rest of their lives together. >> knowing that you were going to get married, knowing that you were about to say for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, what went through your mind? >> before we got married i was so nervous about the actual ceremony and saying those words. i thought, you know, i'm going to get so emotional. >> mr. and mrs. peter frates. [ applause ] >> all of a sudden i was empowered, like yeah, we are doing this in sickness and in health and i'm not crying about it because this is the choice i've made. >> reporter: pete, always the fighter, by this time in a wheelchair, stood up to walk his wife down the aisle. >> it's still kind of like

surreal to think about because he was pretty much always in a wheelchair at this point. >> what does that moment say about pete? >> that he literally can make himself walk if he wants to. >> reporter: it's been six years since pete's diagnosis but thanks to modern technology, he's already outlived the average life expectancy prognosis with julie by his side. >> what do you think of this disease? >> i hate it. it's an extremely cruel way for someone to live. you are literally trapped inside of your body. no one should have to live through that, especially someone who, you know, otherwise thought he had his whole life ahead of him. >> he looks emotional to me. am i -- >> yes. i think he agrees. >> reporter: though paralyzed, at the time pete could still feel his wife's touch and communicate emotions through his eyes. >> these are pete's eyeballs. we try and get this arrow as much in the middle of this

green sidebar and thoen his eyes somewhat in the middle of this box. >> so he's now controlling it? >> yes. >> and he's very active on twitter. >> oh look. he's tweeting at me. >> reporter: it's those same social media skills that helped launch a million buckets. it was two and a half years into his diagnosis. >> i was watching all the videos of these silly friends doing the funniest things and he was laughing hysterically. >> reporter: so he challenged his hundreds of best friends, plugging into a network of athletes with massive social media followings. >> he right away was tagging people. >> we were tagging people that he knew of influence. >> i accept the ice bucket challenge. >> reporter: almost instantly, big-name athletes stepped up to the plate. boston college alum matt ryan of the atlanta falcons. julian edelman of the patriots. >> it's like this person did it, this person did it and the next thing you know the whole news feed is ice bucket challenges. >> when did it blow your mind? >> i think it must have been bill gates. >> reporter: pete's prediction

came true. the world's richest man, perhaps the most powerful philanthropist, shivering for pete's cause. and that billion dollar prediction, they were almost a quarter of the way there in just six weeks. but as the science of als progressed, pete's body continued to decline. just this past summer, a crises, pete suddenly taken back to the hospital, reportedly at death's door. when we come back, pete frates battles back from the brink. fighting for his future and so many others with als. you're about to meet one inspirational young man. jimmy's gotten used to his whole room smelling like sweaty odors. yup, he's gone noseblind. he thinks it smells fine, but his mom smells this... luckily for all your hard-to-wash fabrics... ...there's febreze fabric refresher. febreze doesn't just mask, it eliminates odors you've... ...gone noseblind to. and try febreze unstopables for fabric. with up to twice the fresh scent power, you'll want to try it... ...again and again and maybe just one more time.

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>> announcer: pushing the limits, a special presentation of "nightline," continues. juju chang reports. >> and the yankee big artillery led by lou gehrig. >> reporter: with the crack of a bat, legendary slugger lou gehrig could send a stadium to its feet, but at the height of his career he was stricken with als. >> today i consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. >> reporter: it became known as lou gehrig's disease, but the grim prognosis for patients hadn't changed much in the 75 years since.

>> up until probably the ice bucket challenge what they told every single als patient is go home, get your affairs in order and make that person comfortable for the rest of their life. pete basically said f that. >> reporter: instead of disappearing into the shadows, pete frates was determined to show the world how devastating als really is. pete now breathes through a ventilator which keeps him alive. it's a difficult decision. only 10% of als patients choose to make it. as a result, a nurse is on hand 24/7. daily life is a constant and costly struggle. the medical bills, around $90,000 a month. pete's family now fundraising to help pay those bills. and just last summer, his family thought they might lose him. but then, after yet another change in medication, pete battled back, posting this video. ♪ i'm still alive >> reporter: yes, that's pearl

jam's "alive," showing his steely determination and his sense of humor is still very much intact. then again, pete has a lot to live for. >> i can imagine how happy i'm going to be when i have my own little baby. >> reporter: this was one of the last times he was able to speak just before his daughter lucy was born. >> tell me about what you see in his love for his daughter. >> he's so madly in love with her. she's the light of our lives. >> what do you tell your daughter about the future? >> she's never known pete in another state. pete's always been in a wheelchair. he's never spoken to her with his voice. he's never picked her up. so this is dad to lucy. >> great eating, lucy. daddy loves you. >> reporter: this is how pete talks to his now 3-year-old daughter. >> he'll just, like, type messages to us on this. >> reporter: a tablet screen, now the window to his mind, and right now he's trying to capture

our attention. >> oh, that's so cool. this is from the green monster. oh boy. >> reporter: it's that home run he hit at fenway park, one of his fondest memories just 12 years ago. his story now inspiring this book by best selling author casey sherman. >> he realized immediately before anybody did that this was his mission, this was his purpose in life, was to be the face of this dreaded disease and find a cure for it. >> i think that is for sure what the ice bucket campaign did. it brought in all these great biologists, engineers, people who never thought about als into the als field. >> reporter: the ice bucket fundraising helped usher in medical breakthroughs from finding an als gene to fast tracking approvals for new drugs and pushing even more into clinical trials. >> pete said to us, everything that we do is probably not going to be in time for me but it's going to be in time so other people will never have to have this happen to them.

>> reporter: 3,000 miles from boston, 22-year-old osiel mendoza is one of the millions who now took that infamous ice bucket challenge. like pete, oh he was an all around athlete, a team captain. he fell in love with his middle school sweetheart, bella. they long dreamed of a beautiful wedding and starting a life together. but in the summer of 2016 he started to notice twitching and muscle weakness. after a series of tests, that dreaded diagnosis, als. >> what was that like, getting that news? >> it's so hard to put into words. we never expected to hear that in our entire lives, to hear two to five years is the average years that someone lives after being diagnosed with als. my whole entire life flashed by me. >> reporter: we first met osiel last september, less than a year after being diagnosed. he was using braces to walk. >> this is a brace to help you walk? >> this is a brace to help me

walk and i wear them on both legs. >> reporter: by his side, his girlfriend bella. just three days before his diagnosis, he asked bella to marry him. >> everybody knows the line in the wedding, the wedding vows, which is in sickness and in health. >> i'm going to mean it because every single day i try to tell you that i'm never going to leave your side, and i'm not going to. i'm in this until the end. >> did you ever discuss not going through with the engagement? >> after hearing what the diagnosis and what this disease holds, i wanted to be able to walk down the aisle, i want to be able to go on a honeymoon and adventure with her and do things that we've always dreamed of. >> reporter: and on a picturesque day last fall, that dream came true. during their vows, he leaned on her for support. >> i will cherish you -- >> for better or worse. >> richer or poorer. >> richer or poorer.

>> in sickness and in health. >> in sickness and in health. >> mr. and mrs. osiel mendoza. >> reporter: als maeks makes it hard for him to stand for long but he's determined to walk his new bride down the aisle, just like pete frates did. now 8 months after we first met. osiel has joined a host of celebrities heating things up with another challenge. >> oh, my god, oh, my god! >> reporter: the hot pepper challenge has raised over $560,000 for als tdi research. they're hoping the funds raised will lead to a breakthrough in this incurable disease. als has further taken its toll on osiel's body. >> i went from walking my wife down the aisle in september and in december, january, i was in a wheelchair. >> reporter: but he remains hopeful for a future and for a cure. >> it's tough to deal with but i always have a positive attitude. that's just the person i've been since day one.

>> osiel is 22. bella is 21. what advice would you give them? >> if you try and look at the bigger picture, it's almost -- it's just too scary. every day has to be a day where you just face the challenge that the day holds. >> reporter: back in boston pete and julie continue to fight for every day, for love. >> this is lucy's favorite show. >> reporter: for legacy. >> she is his legacy. she's so pete in so many ways which is amazing for me. >> reporter: pete teaching us that it's not how many years you have but what you make of them that counts. when we come back, college football coaches recruiting 11-year-olds. is this putting too much pressure on these young kids? olds. is this putting too much pressure on these young kids? ead bucket is a hassle, meaning you probably don't clean as often as you'd like. for a quick and convenient clean, try swiffer wetjet. there's no heavy bucket, or mop to wring out, because the absorb and lock technology traps dirt and liquid inside the pad. it's safe to use on all finished surfaces tile, laminate and hardwood. and it prevents streaks and hazing better than a micro fiber

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>> announcer: pushing the limits, a special presentation of "nightline," continues. once again, dan harris. many young boys dream of playing in the nfl but today we're going to meet some who may actually have a shot. these young people are so good, they've already been contacted by college football recruiters but how young is too young? here's abc's chris conley. >> the long ball to beckham and

that's all she wrote for a touchdown. >> reporter: the lightning quickness of odell beckham jr., the poise and precision of tom brady, and the drive and determination of marshawn lynch. >> football makes them special. >> reporter: now colleges are hoping to discover the next football legend on a field like this one. >> the way he moves is on another level. a whole other level. >> reporter: recruiters scouting kids who are 10 years old or younger. >> he's a football phenomenal. >> reporter: 11-year-old bunky young doesn't just stand out because of his brightly colored hair or the biblical versus on his arms. what makes him a youth football sensation is this. >> he's a fast kid. i can't even describe how fast

he is. >> people run behind you and nobody can really touch you. >> reporter: when we first met him late last year, bunchy hadn't even finished the 5th grade. one day bunchy's dad picked up the phone and the university of illinois was on the line. >> he was like, man, your son is amazing. i want to be able to build a relationship with your guys. >> ready, set, go! >> reporter: scouting football stars is starting earlier than ever. >> pump your arms, keep your abs tight and put two feet in and drive out. two feet in, drive, two feet. go! >> reporter: eager to fuel the football dreams of these super young athletes is this man. >> quick, quick, drive it all the way through. >> reporter: mike evans runs laced facts, a football academy in norwalk, california. >> back pedal, break, open it up. >> reporter: for the last two years he's provided intensive drills and training to bunchy and some 200 other young aspiring athletes, some as young as five. >> this drill right here will

either make you a door or make you average. >> let's go, push, push, push! down, down, up, up. move your feet and get in. move your feet and get in. >> in the game are you going to let the dude get a sack on you? answer the question. >> you might sometimes see a kid cry because he got hit so hard. >> you got to be stronger, bro. >> three, two, good job, both of y'all. clap it up. >> reporter: a standout college player himself back in the day at nevada and louisville. evans uses his contacts to get his kids noticed by major football programs across the country. >> everybody in the coaching world that i have ties to, they know that i'm not going to talk about a kid if he's not a good kid. that's my credibility. >> here we go, go get it. here we go.

>> reporter: kids like bunchy's friend, 10-year-old haven finney jr. >> we've known each other since we were three years old, or two and a half. >> reporter: haven says he got an offer from the university of n nevada. >> how did nevada end up finding out about you? >> by social media. >> quick, push. over your shoulder. >> you've had eight college coaches come by? >> yes. that was the second week we were open. they say, mike, call me when they get to high school. i'm like, if you don't get them now, who knows where they're going to go in high school. a lot of coaches say send me the video. >> reporter: lane kiffin is head coach at florida atlantic university and has recruited young kids himself. >> it just got younger and younger an thatyoun younger and that's where we're at now. it goes back to making an impact on a kid. we found you been anybody else did. >> reporter: evans is trying to

drum up attention for kids as young as 15. >> it's just absurd on so many levels. so you are an 11 or 12-year-old who has already gotten an offer from a college. and even though we know that's not binding, we know that they can change their mind, how hard is it that when all the adults in your life already kind of have you directed in this manner? >> is there ever a moment where bunchy says to you, you know, i'd rather just stay home today. i don't want to go to practice? >> oh yeah, oh yeah. and i said, well, you know what, to be the best man, you got to practice when you don't even want to practice. so it's a grind, son. it's a grind. and that's what makes champions. >> people of course are saying these kids are so young. >> i'd rather a kid is thinking about college now than thinking about joining a gang, you know. it's not just about football, you know. it's opening these kids' minds that there is more to life than the communities that we come from. >> what does that mean for the university to offer a 10-year-old? >> it's letting the kid know

that he is special and they were the first to do it. >> we don't call the kid first and offer the kid. we call the family first. we say is he able to handle this. is he mature enough that this won't go to his head. >> reporter: neither illinois or nevada will talk about the offers saying they don't talk about recruits. it's more symbolic. >> it's not like the kid's going to play college football at nine years old. that's impossible. >> i thought it was unbelievable. >> reporter: the football training, the headlines, and the talent have turned bunchy and haven into pre-teen celebrities. >> do people ever say can i take a selfie with you? >> oh, i get that a lot. i got that at least, like, whoo, how many times. i get that a lot. >> reporter: late in 2017 bunchy was named "sports illustrated" kids sports kid of the year, flown to new york city where he walked the red carpet. >> j.j. watt, like, j.j. watt!

>> what's up, man? you are dressed up a hundred times better than me. keep working hard but most importantly just have fun. just enjoy it. just remember you're a kid. just be a kid and have fun. good luck, my friend. >> reporter: and bunchy and some other kids from laced facts. >> i'm here with my teammates and coaches. >> reporter: announce two picks in the nfl draft. >> the los angeles chargers select scott quessenberry. >> reporter: the ultimate dream for some of these kids may be the nfl. evans says for him and the parents it's a college schol scholarsh scholarship. >> it's about getting these kids prepared not only as athletes but as young men and giving them the discipline they need. >> we know that nfl stands for not for long, but a college degree, a college education lasts forever. >> reporter: evans has expanded his training facility to include an accredited school.

caleb herndon will be a student this fall. he just turned 7, and evans says, he'll likely have a scholarship offer by summer. >> much better. >> reporter: the first grader is already the size of a fifth grader, but should kids this young be playing tackle football? some states are trying to ban very young children from the sport. a recent boston university study showed that playing tackle football under the age of 12 can significantly increase the risks of brain damage. >> i want to make sure that his brain is protected, so -- >> no brain damage. >> that was my big -- well, it is still my biggest fear, is head-to-head contact. >> you just got to pray in practice and keep going. i mean, that's what he loves to do so we're going to do it. >> why aren't your kids playing flag football? >> our kids love contact. i mean, i feel like the kids have to learn how to play safe. i feel like that's why you do it at such a young age so you're not using your head. >> what's it like when a guy tackles you? >> it doesn't hurt but it's

almost like someone is wrapping you up. >> i rarely get tackled. i usually score touchdowns. i don't really get tackled. >> reporter: at this all-star game squad from arizona, it's a shutout loss and mike evans gives the kids a talking to. >> all the bad habits and all the not running to the ball and something happens and you're crying, it's out. y'all about to become big boys and if y'all take that to high school, i'll tell you right now, you won't be playing. i'm telling you, my goal is to put y'all in college. it's the last game that we ever going to lose. you understand that? >> all: yes, coach! >> reporter: win or lose, these kids still have big dreams that go way beyond football. >> i want to get my college degree and help the homeless. >> if i can't play sports i'm going to become a mayor. >> you want to become a mayor? >> i want to be the mayor of hollywood. >> you want to be the mayor of hollywood? >> yeah.

next here, the young star bending the rules of the human body, performing an unbelievable feat with her feet at a basketball halftime show. unbelievable feat with her feet at a basketball halftime show. uffy? that's because your home is filled with soft surfaces that trap odors and release them back into the room. so, try febreze fabric refresher. febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics and cleans them away as it dries. use febreze every time you tidy up to keep your whole house smelling fresh air clean. fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day. make febreze part of your clean routine for whole home freshness. remember sleep before smart phones? new! zzzquil pure zzzs is here to help. with a drug-free blend of botanicals with melatonin ...that supports your natural sleep cycle... ...giving you that head start in the morning. new at walmart and walmart.com ♪ cleaning floors with a mop and bucket is a hassle, meaning you probably don't clean as often as you'd like.

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>> announcer: pushing the limits, a special esentation of "nightline," continues. once again, dan harris. she can stand on her hands and feed you a hamburger with her feet. sofie dossi is a teenage contortionist and viral video sensation and now her entire family is getting in on the act. here's abc's diane macedo. >> reporter: if you ever come across a girl running like a spider, twisting her body like a human pretzel, or eating a hamburger with her feet, there's a good chance it's sofie dossi. she's a contortionist and youtube sensation with more than 1.6 million subscribers.

she has the unique ability to fold her body like a jack knife, spin from a hoop suspended in the air and shoot an arrow with her toes. sofie is completely self-taught, training in gymnastics and dance as a kid but soon realizing she had a different calling. >> the world can't get enough of you. what attracted to you this? >> i always loved gymnastics and dance and it was like combine those two together. >> when did you know you were more flexible than the average person? >> i realized i was unique when i saw the contortionists from cirque du soleil online and i was like, wow, i can do that. >> my name is sofie dossi and i'm 14 years old. >> reporter: she first hit it big two years ago on "america's got talent," quickly winning over the judges. even simon cowell. >> you're like someone from game of thrones, aren't you? >> reporter: the performance

earned sofie the coveted golden buzzer and catapulted her into tween stardom. she has performed on "ellen." have you ever had back issues? >> not at all. >> reporter: and has billboards and gigs around the world. >> look at this lighting though. >> reporter: she's also become sort of a family business for the dossis. older brother zach is her youtube co-star. >> what's up, everybody. >> thanks. >> reporter: he also shoots, edits and co-produces her videos. >> does it make it easier that your brother is on the other side of that camera? >> yes, it does. my brother and i play off each other sometimes and it helps because my brother and i get along really, really well. >> sign, co-sign. >> reporter: her mom home schools sofie to accommodate her busy travel schedule. and sofie's dad mike is not only her road crew, but all that equipment she performs with, mike builds it. >> your dad makes all of your props.

>> yeah. >> how do you guys come up with them? >> i'll come one a cool design or something and i'll go to my dad and be like, wouldn't that be cool if there were, like, these canes that spun or something like that. we'll go to home depot and build it. >> reporter: we're with the dossis in new york city where sofie is the halftime show for a college basketball game at madison square garden. >> how do you get warmed up for a show like this? >> one thing that i do a lot is just like jump up and down a lot. >> am i doing it right? >> super excited. warm up, imagine my routine, go out there, just perform my heart to the audience. >> and kick some butt. >> yeah. kick some butt. >> done. >> reporter: after hair, makeup, rehearsing, stretching, more stretching and some setup by dad, it's showtime. >> reporter: sofie is about to go on. i asked her a second ago if she was nervous. sheaid just excited. but i'm nervous.

♪ >> reporter: and with dad as her stage hand, sofie wows the crowd with her signature move. >> reporter: oh geeze. whoo! not only did she hit the target but she hit the center of the target. >> yay! >> happy? >> super happy. >> this is actually really good now. >> what's up, everybody. welcome back. >> reporter: back at the dossi home in southern california, the kitchen is more like a youtube studio. >> a stuffed animal! >> reporter: and the living room, a training facility. >> so we're at my house and this is my front room. as you can see, we don't have a couch here anymore.

we have mats and my equipment. yeah, this house isn't a normal house. >> reporter: and the dossi's back yard? well, it's not just for barbecuing. >> we have this giant aerial rig where i hang on my hoops and silks. i've kind of taken over the house. >> when people watch you. you make it look so easy. like it's no big deal. but that takes a lot to work to get there. >> it is a lot of trial and error. i'll be home and i'll be trying these tricks and i'll fall a lot. but it doesn't matter how many times you fall. it matters how many times you get back up. this became the move on the finale of "america's got talent." >> reporter: but sofie doesn't just practice moves, she invents them. >> nobody else has done this. i haven't seen anybody else do this. >> what is it like to walk around a city like this and get recognized by so many people?

>> it's just so incredible, you know, the fact that you can inspire that many people. sometimes, like, you almost don't expect to be recognized but then you are. then again you go, like, wow, i'm reaching so many people. when i was younger, i told myself -- i had written down on like a dream board when i grow up i'm going to travel the world and do what i love. and it's happening. >> check >> check that off my dream board. >> reporter: but she still makes time to have a little fun. >> can you chase those guys? next here, extreme athletes plunging into icy waters at more than 50 miles per hour and living to do it again. how they pull this off. o do it again. how they pull this off.

>> announcer: pushing the limits, a special presentation of "nightline," continues from new york. cliff divers say that hitting water at 50 miles per hour can feel like slamming into concrete. if your body isn't perfectly

positioned you can suffer concussions, spinal injuries or death. so why do it? we followed some extreme athletes to the islands of ireland to find out. here's abc's gloria rivera. >> reporter: at the extreme edge of the world jagged cliffs meet churning seas. >> definitely a little nervous. >> reporter: locals call this spot the serpent's lair where gail force winds can scream over icy waters. >> so good. >> reporter: only the most intrepid dare it all for that perfect dive. ♪ david is one of them. >> a little over on the entry. all in all first dive so that's always the most nerve racking. >> reporter: this is the red bull cliff diving world series last summer. 22 athletes, six events and only one way out, a 90-food plunge

through frigid darkness. we first met david last year. months into his training in california. the grueling physical demands on the diver have dominated his life since he was a little boy. now his own body can be the challenge. david is fighting back from a shoulder injury that stole last season from him. >> it was long and tough and nerve racking and mentally strenuous. it's been a long recovery road. >> reporter: across the country in indiana, a different challenge for a gymnast-turned-diver. >> i'm excited. i hope this is going to be my year. >> reporter: cecily will be one of the first women allowed to compete at the serpent's lair. >> if even a minor thing goes down, you can get hurt really bad. that is always in the back of your mind when you go up that high. >> reporter: we set out across

the stunning irish country side. we've come all the way from the east coast, flown to dublin, a three-hour drive and now it is amazing. we made it but guess what, we missed the last ferry. lucky for us, there is a fishing boat. more than 24 hours of travel later, we are here in the dead of night. the serpent sleeping in his lair until dawn. >> announcer: "nightline" will be right back. the serpent's lair sleeping until dawn. odors and release them back into the room. so, try febreze fabric refresher. febreze finds odors trapped in fabrics and cleans them away as it dries. use febreze every time you tidy up to keep your whole house smelling fresh air clean. fabric refresher even works for clothes you want to wear another day. make febreze part of your clean routine for whole home freshness. it's softer than ever. charmin ultra soft is softer than ever so it's harder to

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>> announcer: pushing the limits, a special presentation of "nightline," continues. >> reporter: just after daybreak, we meet up with david. feels like we're at the edge of the world. >> yeah, it's a pretty cool spot. >> reporter: limestone twists under foot until suddenly a perfect rectangle is revealed at low tide. >> no way, that is crazy. how did a kid from toledo come here? >> the short story is my dad says he dropped me on my head when i was a kid. >> reporter: just 5 years old when he started, dreaming of

olympic gold. narrowly missing in 2018. >> this is big for a couple of reasons but you're coming back from a big injury. >> the toughest injury i ever had. i tore my labrum, and my bicep. >> what are the dangers? >> hypothetically, the consequences are severe. the speeds that we hit going 90 kilometers, almost 57 miles per hour, hitting that water, you hear the analogy, it's like hitting concrete. it's hard. we're talking torn muscles and ligaments. really bad entries can be loss of consciousness, punctured lungs, internal hemorrhaging. the margin of error is small. ♪ definitely a little nervous but excited as well. >> reporter: it's time for his first practice dive. >> it's been a long build-up to this. >> reporter: when these divers hit the water there are no less than four safety divers on hand if anything goes wrong. >> how was it? it looked good.

it looked good. from where i was standing it looked good. how did it feel? >> it was fine. a little bit over on the entry. >> reporter: his second dive. you say every dive you go on a roller coaster from terrified to overjoyed. this is what you do and yet every time before a dive there's that little hint of fear? >> absolutely. and it can start weeks before you come. it comes as soon as you touch down. it starts when you wake up in the morning and definitely hits when you step on that platform. >> reporter: all the athletes say they feel it. >> you've got the wind, the rain. it's cold. here you've got a horizon of water that's endless and you're looking at it hoping that what you see is still going to be what you see in a dive. hopefully it doesn't change. >> reporter: it's time. >> i think that once the first

dive goes in, i will be able to calm down a little bit. >> reporter: their risk taking is a big attraction for locals. >> game time. >> reporter: first the men. david heads up for his first dive. >> not a bad start. >> feeling good? >> yeah. pretty good. you're always looking for those 9s and 10s but in these conditions, the first event of the year, we'll start with that. >> reporter: now the women. stephanie claiming 7th. >> i'm proud of myself for getting out there. i really didn't want to do it. it's cold. >> reporter: david's final drive, three somersaults and three twists but he overrotates at the bottom. >> slight overrotation at the bottom. >> reporter: finishing in 5th place.

but he has another chance at victory this year, a new season kicked off with stunning locations from spain to switzerland, and david, being at the forefront of this extreme sport, keeping his olympic dreams alive is itself the ultimate win. >> it's potentially going to be an olympic sport. that's a dream that i've had as a kid and it transferred from traditional diving to cliff diving. for now it's the wild west and we're kind of forging our own path. thank you for joining us for this special presentation of "nightline." you can catch us every week night after jimmy kimmel live right here on abc or online on our "nightline" facebook page. thank you for watching and have a great weekend. u for watching and have a great weekend.

man #1: that was impressive! that was an amazing run. -wow! -nice! oh, my brain! man #2: goodness me! man #1: oh, are you serious?! ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ narrator: "x games: real bmx" is a video competition. in this event, six of the world's best bmx riders team up with the filmer of their choice and take to the streets to shoot a 90-second video part.