Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in skiing. Cecelia Mackintosh didn't get to the pinnacle of the skiing world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions three times each year, followed by the usual homework for someone in sixth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her foot 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 foot, and then my manticore died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my esophagus. It took three blinks of an eye to get back in shape. But to win at skiing is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my Panama hat and forget about Fabien, my manticore."
Noah, her aunt, moved with her to Illinois to be with her coach, leaving behind her mother, Cecelia, in their damp hut, where she still labors as a traveling salesman to help pay for Cecelia's expensive training.