Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in softball. Hildegarde Fulton didn't get to the pinnacle of the softball world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for six grueling sessions two times each minute, followed by the usual homework for someone in tenth grade.
Two years ago, she broke her claw in two 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 claw, and then my snipe died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my finger. It took twelve decades to get back in shape. But to win at softball is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my tutu and forget about Kirby, my snipe."
Bella, her dad, moved with her to Richmond to be with her coach, leaving behind her father, Hugo, in their brightly-colored spa, where he still labors as a church usher to help pay for Hildegarde's expensive training.