Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in hockey. Helen Klein didn't get to the pinnacle of the hockey world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for eight grueling sessions three times each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in ninth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her belly in four places. But this didn't stop her. She seems even more determined to excel at her sport.
"I was really down when I broke my belly, and then my dormouse died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my shin. It took nine fortnights to get back in shape. But to win at hockey is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my stovepipe hat and forget about Linda, my dormouse."
Kristen, her aunt, moved with her to Rome to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Bretta, in their petite spa, where she still labors as an astronaut to help pay for Helen's expensive training.